Flesh Wounds
by Esperanza
Summary: Battles and a bit of magic finish up the threat to the world. I am SO sorry about the lack of updating. But, hey, IT'S NOW FINISHED! Read and Review, if you please.
1. New Faces and Old Friends

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Disclaimer: I own not Witchblade. I think it belongs to TNT, Top Cow productions, and various other people. But, hey, if you ever get tired of Gabriel and Ian, you could send them to me. J Seriously, though, own, I do not. I just like to play. Also, Athena is mine. Ask before borrowing, if you please.

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Author's Notes: Okay. This is Xander and Athena's last case together. ::sigh:: I know most of you are just _heart-broken_. J After this, I don't know what's going to happen, but one of these days I'm going to just sit down and do major re-constructive surgery. Have patience. Until then…read, review, etc. Cheerio.

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Flesh Wounds

Part One

"Make it fast."

"Bad mood?"

"Just woken up. Now talk."

"Murders. New York."

"And…?"

He began to describe them.

The Princess Athena pushed back her hair. "Two hours." She disconnected and dialed another number. "Hey, Xand? You up for New York?"

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"Hey, Pez."

Sara Pezzini glanced up at her partner, Danny Woo. "What's up?"

"Captain's bringing in some outside help. No, he didn't say who," the Asian detective replied to her unasked question. "All he said was that they were good."

"Well, when are they coming?"

"He, uh, didn't say that, either."

"Not exactly a fountain of information, is he?"

Jake McCartey, rookie detective, popped his head into the office. "Hey, who's with the Captain, do either of you know?"

The two detectives glanced through their open doorway. "Not a clue," Danny answered. "Hope it's our help."

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Inside the captain's office, Athena and Xander were sprawled in separate chairs. One leg crossed over the other, the girl absently played with his letter opener until he hung up. "So, why am I here, Captain?"

"We have a serial killer, but it's one right up your alley."

The girl raised a brow. "I'm assuming I have complete, and I do mean _complete_, authority?"

"Of course."

"What do the Feds have to say?"

"Nothing. They simply agreed."

Xander and Athena exchanged glances. "Be worried," they said simultaneously, smiling.

"Anyway," the girl continued, "I'll need to look at the bodies, speak to the detectives, etcetera. Have copies of the reports been made?"

"They were sent to your apartment."

"Brilliant. Who are the detectives?"

"Sara Pezzini and Danny Woo. You can see them from here."

Athena did not bother to turn her head. "Okay." The three stood, Athena and captain shaking hands. "Thanks."

"Believe me, I'm going to be the one thanking you. You're our last chance."

Merely nodding, she and the dark-haired teen exited the office.

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"You've got to be kidding me," Danny and Jake muttered.

"Wha---" Sara started to say, but was cut off by a sharp pain shooting up her right arm. Reflexively grabbing her wrist, she noticed a figure coming out of the captain's office doing the same. Flashes assaulted her brain, of all of the past Wielders, always accompanied by a tall blonde, identical to the one she was watching.

"Pez?" Danny asked as if from a great distance. "Pez?!"

As quickly as it had started, the pain stopped, and the brunette detective took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"What just happened?" Jake demanded.

"Arthritis setting in?" She smiled, shrugging.

The rookie looked like he wanted to continue, but a knock sounded on the door to their office, stopping him.

The three glanced to see their captain's visitors, and a grin split Danny and Jake's face. "Hey," Danny said, taking her hands in his.

She smiled, moving forward to wrap him in a tight embrace. A type of relief passed over Danny's face as he stroked the back of her head, matched by the expression on Jake's face.

Meanwhile, Sara was studying the two newcomers. The girl was tall, leggy, and very beautiful with long blonde hair and porcelain skin. The guy looked young, even younger than Gabriel did…not that Gabriel was very young. The two were dressed alike in black jeans and turtlenecks with long trenchcoats. Her eyes fell on the blonde's right wrist, and a dark brow arched. No way in hell. Danny's friend wore an exact replica of the bracelet on Pezzini's wrist. The two were having a quiet conversation, and she smiled a bit before turning to Jake. "Hey, beach bum. You're actually wearing clothes. I'm impressed."

The Californian grinned, wrapping his arms around her in a brief hug. "And I'm a detective, too."

"Will wonders never cease," she mock-marveled. The guy with her suddenly stepped forward, a cell phone in his hand.

"'Thene…Australia."

Excusing herself, the girl stepped outside as Xander stuck out a hand. "Hey, I'm Alexander Harris, please call me Xander."

"Danny Woo, Sara Pezzini, Jake McCartey," Danny replied. "You two been working together long?"

"Uh, about…three years? This'll probably be our last case," Xander admitted, running a hand through his dark brown hair. "I think she's staying in New York while I trot back to Sunnydale, CA."

"I've never been up there," Jake commented. "What's it like?"

"The rest of California," Xander replied, with a strange smile.

"Danny, Jake," Sara interrupted. "How do you know this girl?"

Jake smiled. "She was one of my surfing instructors when I was a kid."

"And we're just old friends," Danny replied, grinning infuriatingly.

"Standard answer," Xander laughed. "Athena's collected quite a few 'old friends'."

Athena came back in. "Xander, go to my apartment and go through those reports."

"Gone," the teen replied, tossing them a mock-salute as he left.

Athena smiled to herself, then went on, "Jake, can you take me to the morgue? I need to look at those bodies."

"Not a problem."

The girl kissed Danny's cheek. "See ya, grasshopper. Kiss the family for me."

"Will do. Be careful."

"Always." She turned to Sara. "Nice to meet you, Detective. And nice bracelet." Giving her a secretive smile, she left with McCartey.

"What was that about?" Sara muttered to herself, too low for Danny to hear.

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EAN: Review, and then go to Chapter Two! J Boy, I'm happy. Got to over that…


	2. Fingerprints and Mass Murders

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Author's Notes: And in this chapter enters the oh-so-adorable Gabriel Bowman…ah, the pleasures of life…

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Flesh Wounds

Part Two

"Vicky?" Jake called out, holding the door open for Athena.

Vicky Po, the M.E., popped her head out of the morgue. "Oh, hey, Jake. Who's your friend?"

"Athena, this is Vicky. Vicky, Athena. Captain's brought her in to help with the case."

"Lord knows we know it," the dark-haired woman replied after shaking hands. "I have _never_ seen anything like this."

One golden eyebrow arched. "Is it really that bad?"

"Just wait. They're this way."

"My," was all the girl said when she saw the corpses. "Not quite as bad as I thought."

Jake merely shook his head at Vicky, mouthing, "She's like that."

"Yes, Jake, I _am_ like that," Athena replied.

"See?"

"Um, would you like some gloves?" Vicky asked, slightly confused.

"No, don't need them," the girl replied absently. "They interfere."

"Interfere with what?"

"Athena, among other things, is a psychic," Jake explained. "She can work through touch, sight…all the senses."

"Thank you, Jake." Athena picked up one of the half-eaten pieces, tilting her head, her eyes closed. "That's…odd."

"What is?"

"There are no…fingerprints, you could say. Whatever did this is definitely not human."

"Tell me about it," Vicky muttered.

"No, Dr. Po, I'm not talking a human that's acting inhumane. What I'm saying is, whatever did this is _not human_."

"What, like a demon or something?"

"Is it so hard to believe?"

"After some of the stuff I've seen, no."

"Let me check the others." Her frown grew more pronounced. "There's…there's nothing. No residue of the victims, or their attackers. How…bizarre. Were they homeless or what?"

"We don't know. We have people going through missing persons as we speak."

"Good." The girl pressed her index finger to her lips in thought. "Well, there's nothing I can get from them. Thanks, Dr. Po."

"Call me Vicky."

"Okay, Vicky. Thanks."

"No problem. I just hope you can help."

"So do I."

"So, where are you going now?" Jake asked as they left the morgue.

"I'm going to go visit some friends. You're going to go back to work." She squeezed his shoulder. "It was good to see you, Jake."

"You, too, Athena. You, too."

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Knuckles rapped on the apartment door, their owner laughing quietly at the sign.

"It's open!" Gabriel Bowman called, idly turning a vase in his hands as he walked for the door.

The door swung inward; he glanced up, his breath catching in his throat. The vase in his hands leapt toward freedom, but was hurriedly captured once more by a near panicked antiques dealer. An abashed grin spread over his handsome face as he carefully put the vessel on a shelf.

"Is that what I think it is?" Athena asked.

Gabriel pushed back his tousled dark hair. "Yeah. Found only three inches from Marilyn Monroe's hand."

The girl ran her fingers over the engravings. "Do you know every person who's owned this vase has died?"

"Uh…n-no, I didn't know that," he replied, crossing to his desk and casually straightening the piles of books.

"It's said to be cursed," she continued, turning to face him.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because I'm lying," she replied innocently. "How have you been, Gabriel?"

"Not bad, really. I'm friends with a cop."

"Oh, my. That's like saying Irons would ever get married."

"He's dead, did you hear?"

A not particularly nice look crossed Athena's face. "Oh, yes, I heard he's supposed to be."

A dark brow rose. "Do I really want to know?"

"Probably not. I saw your…commercial. We really need to work on your marketing skills. Then again, perhaps not, since it did represent your rather well."

"I'll…take that as a compliment."

"You should." She flashed him a warm smile.

"Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen you smile."

She half-shrugged. "Must have not been looking hard enough."

"I, um…I don't think so." His gaze caught hers, and an unspeakable chasm opened between them, time pausing as they drowned in each other's gaze…

"Um, am I interrupting?"

The spell was shattered as Gabriel faced his new visitor. "Hey, Sara. No, I don't know a thing. This one's _way_ beyond my sources."

"Well, it was worth a try." She glanced at the other guest. "Athena?"

The girl smirked. "Hullo, Wielder."

In an instant, Sara had her gun out and pointing at the tall blonde. "How the hell do you know who I am?"

"You look like them, do you know?"

"Like who?"

"Joan, Cathain, Elizabeth, Saren…" the girl trailed off. "All of the Wielders have been identical to each other."

"Who _are_ you?"

"Me? My name is Athena. My title is Princess."

The gun wavered. "You're a myth."

"So, my dear, are you, remember?"

"Are you wearing a replica?"

"Yes, and no."

"Okay, can we be a _little_ less cryptic?"

Gabriel snorted. "Sara, legend has it there are two Witchblades, halves of the same whole. Your bloodline wears one, while their forger wears the other."

"Then how did she get it?"

"Child," Athena said quietly, "I'm their forger. I created the Witchblades."

"Who you calling child?" Sara demanded, mainly to mask her shock at the girl's statement.

"Don't let my appearance deceive you, darling. I am much, _much_ older than I look." Sara's weapon jerked out of her hand, landing in Athena's palm. "That's much better, don't you think?"

Almost defenseless, the detective let her hands drop. "Your Witchblade can't harm me, then."

The blonde laughed mirthlessly; Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose in disbelief. "Darling, who said I needed the Witchblade?" Her voice lost what little expression it had. "I could flay your flesh from your bones with a single thought. I could decimate your mind without even snapping my fingers." She stepped closer, until their faces were inches apart. "I could rip your heart out with my bare hands, and you would still live. I could do things without even blinking, probably without even realizing it. You think I'm threatening you, I'm not. Believe me, I do not threaten."

Pezzini could not hide the horror on her face, and once again Athena laughed with no humour. "Am I scaring you, Wielder?"

"Yes," she replied involuntarily.

"Good." The Princess moved back, and both Gabriel and Sara breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Suddenly, his computer beeped, and Gabriel, thankful for the distraction, flopped into his chair. "Uh, Athena, you'd better see this."

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EAN: Again, I tell thee, review so my muses will be satisfied. Picky little things…


	3. Girly Quota, Catchup, and a Sword Hilt

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Flesh Wounds

Part Three

Both women bent over the back of Gabriel's desk chair as he gestured, and Athena began to curse fluently, mixing English with a litany of different languages. Jerking out her cell phone, she punched in a number. "Heard? Get agents there. Yes, dammit. Now." Growling, she hung up. "I've got to go, Gabe. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Hey," he caught her hand. "Be careful, okay?"

Bending, she pressed her lips to his for a brief moment. "I will." Tossing Sara a wave, she disappeared.

"Back when I was in high school, she was at an auction I happened to be at," Gabriel answered Sara's unasked question. "We exchanged numbers and became friends."

She merely shook her head. "I've got to call this report in."

"Okay."

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"Three more have appeared in Tokyo, and a few more next to HQ. Are we dealing with an entire group?" Xander demanded.

"All I know is that they're not human, and chew parts of their prey. That leaves flesh-eating spirits, demons, and the occasional off-world cannibal…it would take days to go through them all…and we won't even get started on the other types of aliens. Maybe the food supply has somehow warped a group of people, or chemicals in the water, or…messages sent over the TV?" Athena mused, and the two glanced at each other. "Nah," they said at the same time, and a brief smile appeared on Athena's face.

"Internet?" Her Immortal Aide mused.

"No, that's something else."

"What?"

"All I'm getting is that it involves Irons, and I am supposed to stay out."

"That's right, you're not particularly fond of Kenneth Irons, are you?"

"Do the words 'hell no' come to mind? Any man who wants the Witchblade worries me." Stretching out her long legs, she absently thumbed through the reports. "Okay. What do you think we should do?"

"Do you own a warehouse?"

"Three."

"Make one your HQ here…let's see…close to the 11th Precinct would probably be best."

She winked at him. "Very good. I was thinking the same thing."

He shrugged, grinning, as she called her lieutenant. "Diane? Move headquarters to that warehouse near the 11th Precinct. Later." She hung up, tapping the phone against her lips.

"Why don't you go out for dinner with that antiques dealer?" Xander suggested innocently. "I'm sure he would love to catch up."

Flashing him a smile, the girl dialed. "Hey, Gabriel? Hi. Yeah. Listen, um, you wanna get some dinner later? Your place? Okay. I'll be there in two hours. 'Bye."

"So?" Xander teased.

"Oh, my, what am I going to wear?" the girl exclaimed, heading for her bedroom. "Xand, help!"

"Y'know, you seem excited," he commented, helping her pull out various outfits.

"Blame Methos. It's all his fault," she muttered, kneeling among her shoes. "God, why do I have so many clothes?"

"Because all these top designers send these clothes to you, and so on. And I can't believe I'm discussing clothes with the most powerful person in the universe. Hey, how 'bout this?" He pulled out a red miniskirt and halter-top.

She glanced up. "One, too much skin showing. Two, I _never_ wear red. Where did I get that?"

"Hey, 'Thene? Go take a bath. I'll pick something out."

"I'm trusting you here, Xand." She pecked his cheek. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now move."

As she locked herself into the bathroom, Xander surveyed the piles of clothes. "Oh, boy."

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An hour later, the teen looked over his handiwork and slipped out of the bedroom, grinning.

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Half an hour after _that_, a stunning Athena spun in the middle of the living room. "How do I look?"

Xander glanced up, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Should I plan on spending the night alone here?"

"What?"

"When that antiques dealer sees you, I don't think you'll be coming home."

"Xander!" She laughed. "You're bad."

"I know. You look beautiful, 'Thene. Go, have your dinner."

Softly kissing both his cheeks, she left, and Xander laughed to himself. "So, Commander Harris, now that you have satisfied your girly quota for the week, what shall we have for dinner?"

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Gabriel nervously smoothed back his hair as he waited for Athena to arrive, checking over his table. Just because he was about to have dinner with a girl he had had a crush since, oh, high school, why should he be nervous? Not even an hour of meditating had helped.

A knock sounded on his door, interrupting his thoughts, and he tried to calm himself as he went to answer it. "Oh, w-wow," he stuttered. Athena was in a flattering two-piece, lavender dress, her hair in an elegant French twist, tendrils framing her face. "You…you look beautiful."

"Thanks. You look great, too." Instead of his usual T-shirt, jeans, and large over shirt, he was wearing slacks and a silk button-up shirt. "I didn't even know you owned silk."

"You should see my bed," he grinned cheekily, and was rewarded by an intriguing glint in her eyes. "Anyway, come on in. Dinner's ready."

"This looks delicious," she commented when she saw the meal. "You can cook?"

He coughed rather uncomfortably. "Actually, it's take-out. Cooking is not my strong suit. But, hey, I can do dishes."

"Typical handsome bachelor," she teased.

As they started on their meal, their conversation wandered to different subjects. Afterwards, he gave her a tour of his shop, and they began to playfully argue about the history of some of the pieces.

"Gabe, I was there when this blade was forged, and it was for Cornwall, not Gloucester."

"Then why does it have a 'G' engraved on the hilt?"

The girl lifted said hilt to the light. "You cleaned this lately?"

"Yeah."

She ran her fingers over the engraving. "Then what is that?" Picking at the supposed 'G', she nearly dropped it when the hilt suddenly split apart, depositing a small handful of papers in Gabriel's hands. "Oh," she whispered. "I remember this hilt. Cornwall had it specially made so he could store things. Why, I haven't a clue, but he insisted."

"Athena, this is _ancient_," Gabriel replied, scanning the papers. "Obviously older than the hilt."

Before she could answer, her cell rang. "Yes?" She pinched the bridge of her nose. "How many? Okay. I'll be right there." Hanging up, she turned to Gabriel. "Can you translate those for me?"

"They'll disintegrate before I can. I'm surprised they haven't all ready."

She glanced at them. "That's strange…they're all ready enchanted so they won't decay. I wonder what's on them…"

"Well, I'll have them as soon as I can." He showed her to the door.

"Dinner was great. Sorry I have to leave."

"It's okay. Be careful."

"I will." Their eyes met…he was not sure what was going to happen…they did not have a chance to find out, for her cell rang again. "Yes? I'm on my way, I said." Sighing, she hung up and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for dinner, Gabe."

"My pleasure." As she disappeared, he closed the door with his foot, thumbing through the manuscript. This was going to be interesting.

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EAN: Any guesses on who the bad guy(s) are going to be? Five hundred brownie points for the correct answer and I'll make them a character in a future chapter or story…J Hint: It's one of the things Athena mentioned…Review, and on to Chapter Four…


	4. Clues from Babylon

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Flesh Wounds

Part Four

"Diane? Xander? Tell me why my dinner was interrupted?" Athena called as she walked into the warehouse, still wearing the lavender dress.

"Did you miss your good-night kiss?" the Immortal teased, but his smile did not reach his eyes.

"How many?"

"Seventeen. Three in Russia, four in China, two up in Alaska, three in France, and two in the Ukraine. More are coming in constantly."

"Captain!" The girl said. "When was the first body found?"

"Day before yesterday," he replied.

"Xander, get Giles on the phone. Diane, call the Altereeds, tell them I need the Book of Carpara. Danny, do you have the reports?"

"Right here," the Asian replied, holding them up.

The girl pursed her lips. "Let's see…what is bugging me about Cornwall's hilt?" Grabbing her cell phone, she dialed Gabriel's number.

"Talismanic dot com. We're closed."

"Gabe, it's Athena."

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"You got anything on that parchment?"

"Yeah. _Very_ early Sumerian, probably one of the first writings ever. My computer's having a fit with it."

"Can you meet me tomorrow with the results?"

"I think I'll be finished by then. Where do you want to meet?"

"Um, y'know that Chinese place on 5th?"

"Okay. See you then."

Hanging up, Athena turned to see Xander staring at her, his eyebrows raised. "What?" she asked suspiciously.

"On the second date _already_?" He asked.

"Shut up," she mumbled with a half-grin. He simply shook his head and called Giles.

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The next day, the two met outside of Huang Ho. Gabriel had a small pile of paper and smiled apologetically. "I've only got about three pages."

She looked slightly annoyed. "At least it's something."

He held up his hands in placation. "Not my fault. My computer took a vacation to Hawaii about 3 o'clock last night…or was it this morning?"

She chuckled. "I'm sorry, Gabe. Stuff like this annoys me."

"Really? Never would have guessed. C'mon, let's get some lunch."

After they ordered, the young man handed her the pages. "I can read almost any language, but Sumerian is definitely giving me some trouble, considering I don't know it at all."

"I should introduce you to a friend of mine," she muttered. "You two would get along splendidly."

"I'll take that as a compliment," he grinned. "So, how's the case going?"

"I've seen frozen molasses move faster." She frowned. "Did you read any of this?"

"No. Left that honor for you."

She began to read aloud. "'Here is the tale of Ali Mohammed Coba, emperor of the Western Hemisphere.'" Her eyes rose and met his. "Coba was the ruler of the Babylonian Empire. His grandson built the Gardens of Babylon."

They were interrupted by their meal arriving, and Athena idly took a few bites before continuing, "'The stranger comes from far away, farther then the sun setting in the west. He speaks of great things, yet fire bathes his eyes. I have sent word to the Princess, yet no reply has made it back. My daughter…my gift from the gods…is taken ill. She chews her own flesh, but tinier teeth take her while she sleeps. My guards have seen this themselves, yet cannot see what eats at her. Gods, why will the Princess not come? Have I angered her so much that she refuses to aid us?'" The girl stopped, biting her bottom lip. "I received no message. I had no idea…"

Gabriel reached across the table to take her hand. "There was no way you could have known."

Instead of answering, she read on, "'Akri grows worse every day, and others of my kingdom have fallen to the affliction. Regardless of our prayers and sacrifices, the gods turn their faces away.' That's all."

"What is he talking about?"

"I don't have any idea," she replied, playing with her chopsticks.

"Could it have something to do with the murders?" He asked. "Bits of them were chewed, I understand."

"It's an idea. Mind if I take these with me?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll work on the rest."

"Do you have a pen?"

"Yeah." He pulled a pen from his back pocket and handed it to her. For a brief moment, his fingers grazed hers, and his breath caught in his throat as a low gasp, barely audible, escaped Athena's mouth.

"Nifty," she breathed.

"Uh…yeah," he croaked. "Athena…the Witchblade…"

The girl glanced down at her bracelet, which was glowing a soft, soothing green.

"Is…is that a good sign?"

"I…don't know," she replied. "It's never done that before."

The stone swirled back to it normal ruby color once their hands separated; confusion was evident on both their faces. "So…" he started, half-grinning.

"I've got to get back. Thanks for doing this."

"It'll cost you." The look in his eyes was hard to interpret, and she felt something inside of her tighten. Quickly scribbling, she handed the pen back.

"I'll call you, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." He watched her leave, frowning slightly. There was a lot of work to do tonight.

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Athena was wandering around Central Park, studying her silver bracelet. "What is your problem this time?" She muttered. "In fact, I think it's time you and I had a _very long_ talk." She suddenly stopped. "Come out, Ian."

A tall figure in black stepped out of the trees and assumed a submissive pose, his eyes on the ground. "My Princess."

"Ian," she said, voice slightly strained. "I am not your…father. Never bow your head to me."

His honey-brown eyes slowly rose until they met her cold cerulean ones. "Why do you speak to the Witchblade so?"

"It's being annoying." She let him take her hand, and he traced the silver whorls.

"How so?"

"Don't worry about it." She watched him for a moment. "I don't mean to be rude, but I need to go. It was good to see you, Ian."

"Princess, wait," he caught her arm. "Those you seek…you must get Sara to trust you before you can defeat them."

"Ian, do you have _any_ idea what you're asking?"

He laughed, a warm, tangible, sound, and reverently pressed a kiss to her right palm. "Be careful, Princess. Please, for me."

Slightly surprised by the tender request, she brushed her fingers down his cheek before walking away.

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EAN: Hopefully, Ian will appear more later on…but for some reason, this thing has taken on a mind of it's own…it's happened before. Bloody muses…


	5. Tea and Tension

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Five

"I really don't know what to tell you, Athena."

"_Perapa_, so far, I've got zilch. I even called the Charmed Ones, but the Book of Shadows has nothing…not that I'm really surprised…But anyway…"

Giles smiled at his phone. She was still treating him as her father, which warmed his considerably. But she was also still speaking, and he brought his attention back. "A friend told me the only way to defeat these…whatever they are…is to have the Witchblades working together. Does that ring _any_ bells?"

A slight frown crossed his features. "That _does_ sound familiar. May I call you back?"

"Of course. Thanks."

"Athena…I know you've probably heard this a thousand times, but be careful. I love you like a daughter."

"I love you, too, _Perapa_." She hung up as Xander came into her makeshift office.

"Anything?"

"Not yet. He'll call me back."

"Well, it has been about two days since the last report."

"Xand, in this case, no news is bad, bad news. No news means no clues. Yes, Fera?"

Xander glanced up, startled. He had not known the feathered Altereed had arrived on the planet, much less entered the room.

"You asked for the Book," she whispered in her soft, melodious voice.

"Ah, yes, thank you." The Princess took the large, leather-bound book from Fera's magenta hands. "Tell the Elders I'll have this back as soon as I can."

The Altereed bowed and glided away.

"'Thene, why don't you go home?" Xander delicately suggested. "Take the Book, and relax a little. I'll stay here tonight and call if anything happens."

When she hesitated, he mock-threatened, "Don't make me call that antiques dealer."

"His name is Gabriel, Xander." Taking his face in her hands, she kissed his forehead. "Thank you."

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Athena was flipping through the Book of Carpara, but her mind kept wandering to a certain Gabriel Bowman. Why had to Witchblade reacted so to his touch? She groaned, absently rubbing her neck. A hot shower had helped, but only barely, and she found herself thinking longingly of her personal masseuse, Matthew, back in Australia. Perhaps some tea would help.

Someone knocked on the door as she was filling her cup; her brow rose when she saw whom it was. Talk about speak of the devil. "Hey, Gabe."

He grinned at her boxer shorts and sports bra. "Hey. Nice."

She shook her head. "Shut up."

His grin widened. "Anyway, I got the rest translated."

"Fantastic. Come on in. Are you hungry, thirsty? I'm making some tea."

"That's fine." His eyes widened slightly at the apartment's interior. "Nice digs."

"Thanks," she replied, filling another cup. "One of the few perks to this job." Snapping her fingers, she heated the water and dropped in some tea bags. "Honey or sugar?"

"What?" He questioned, misunderstanding the question.

"Sweetener? Honey or sugar?" She re-asked, holding the two up.

"Just sugar, thanks," he answered, flushing slightly. She arched a brow, but did not say anything.

Once they settled on the couch with their cups, he handed her the papers. "It, uh…It seems like a bunch of babble," he admitted. "Since I can't speak Sumerian, I don't really know what it means. Sorry."

"Thanks, anyway. Really." She rotated her neck, growling at the tenseness.

"Hey, you okay?"

"A little stiff," she replied honestly.

"Then…don't take this wrong…but let me give you a massage."

"Nah, I'll be okay." She did not know why she was refusing, but something in her was wary of how much she wanted Gabriel to touch her.

"Yeah, yeah," he laughed, setting their cups down. "Here, I don't mind." Turning her so her back was to him, he began to gently rub her shoulders.

"Oh, god," she moaned. "That feels _so_ good."

He moved closer, placing his cheek next to hers. "Glad you like."

She found herself turning, their eyes meeting, and he swallowed thickly. "Why…um…why don't you move to the bed, and we'll do this right," he suggested, voice husky.

Wordlessly rising, she moved into the bedroom while he slipped into the bathroom, finding a bottle of oil, and he had to squash down an irrational surge of jealousy at the thought of someone else using this to touch her.

When he came back out, the lights were dimmed, and she was facedown on the bed. His hungry gaze swept over her slim form before he managed to control himself and go to her, pouring some oil into his hands and warming it. Starting at her thighs, he worked down, relaxing the muscles with his firm touch. Then he rolled her over and worked his way back up, stopping just below the hem of her boxer shorts. "Feel better?"

"Please don't tell me you're stopping," she murmured.

"No…we're just getting started."

She opened her eyes, studying him. "Are we now?"

Instead of answering, he began to work on her hands and arms, smiling down at her. "How's that feel?"

"Heaven doesn't even come close."

"Good. Roll over and take off your bra."

She arched a brow. "I knew you were just waiting for an excuse to get my clothes off."

"How well you know me." He grinned. "I can't do your back until you take your bra off."

Going back onto her stomach, she stretched her arms up straight. "Wanna help me?"

"Please, don't tempt me."

Smirking into her pillow, she wriggled out of her top, too lazy to use magic on it. A weight settled across her upper thighs; she shuddered as cold oil pooled in the small of her back. Calming her with a light touch, he slowly worked the oil into her skin, becoming more aroused with every soft moans, the almond scent surrounding them. Skillfully finding every sore spot, he rubbed with just the right pressure until her muscles were like warmed honey under his hands. "Gabe," she breathed as he softened his touch to the lightest of caresses.

"I take it you liked?" He teased.

"Mmmm," she purred, and he gulped. That purr was wrecking havoc on the little control he had left.

Just knowing he was going to get hurt painfully, he dare to bend down and kiss the base of her neck, barely brush the smooth skin with the tip of his tongue. Her breath stopped; her back arched toward his touch. Surprised, and gratified, he experimented slightly, gently nibbling on the side of her neck. "G-Gabriel," she panted. "What are you doing?"

"Relaxing you," he smiled. "Am I doing a good job?"

"Oh, god," she whispered as he grazed her ear with his teeth. "Please, Gabriel…"

"Please what?"

Her fingers were digging into her pillow when he suddenly bit her jugular, hard; the pillow ripped, sending feathers everywhere.

He began to laugh, his warm breath puffing against her skin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was an invitation."

"Tempter," she smiled into her mattress. "How'd you know about the neck thing?"

"I didn't, until now." He watched her bracelet. "It's green again."

"I wish I knew why it was doing that," she mumbled, raising her head to frown at the piece of jewelry.

Fighting with himself, he bent and pressed his lips to her shoulderblade. "You'd better put your top back on."

"Don't wanna," she mock-whined to cover her surprise. "Wanna stay like this."

"Athena, I'm barely holding on as it is, and this was _not_ how I pictured this happening." Not letting her reply, he rolled off and went back into the living room.

A few minutes later, she joined him, tossing on a large black button-up shirt over her bra and boxers. Sitting beside him, she reheated their tea with a thought, then hesitantly said, "You imagined…us?"


	6. Why do you trust me?

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Six

"Athena…" he slowly moved closer to her. "I've…I've dreamed of you responding…responding to my touch like that." His fingertips brushed over her arm; her eyes fluttered shut as a shiver ran over her. "Athena…" he whispered. "Look at me."

Her lashes parted, and she focused on exactly how close he was to her. Still stroking her arm, he reached up with his other hand to trace her lips. She unconsciously licked them, and he half-whimpered before closing his mouth over hers.

It was a chaste kiss, no brush than a brush. Then he angled her head to the side; her fingers weaved through his hair as the kiss deepened, almost dangerously.

Reluctantly pulling away, he gently bit her bottom lips before resting his forehead against hers. "I know you're probably going to be scared later…Athena, if you're…" He stopped, grinned ruefully, then started over. "I want to take the risk if you do. If you want to try this, believe me, I _won't_ say no. But if you don't, tell me now. I'll leave, and this will never come up again."

She reached up to stroke his face, staring into his warm brown eyes. "Tell me what you imagined again?"

A grin split his face, and he stretched out on the couch, settling her until her head was nestled under his chin. "How 'bout I demonstrate that one at a later date?"

"Mmm…okay," she replied sleepily, snuggling closer. "Stay here tonight?"

"I'll sleep on the couch."

"But I've got this really big bed…" she said.

"Now who's tempting who?"

"Hey, I'll behave if you will."

A few minutes later, they were both under the sheets, Gabriel loosely spooning Athena, one arm around her slim waist. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart," he whispered.

"You, too, Gabriel," she replied; bathed in the Witchblade's new green glow, they slipped off to dreamland.

-------------------------

The next morning, Xander silently let himself into Athena's apartment with one of her extra sets of keys, a box of pastries in his hand. Glancing into the bedroom, he saw the still-sleeping couple, grinned, and slipped out just as quietly.

-------------------------

A few hours later, an annoying bee started to buzz, becoming louder as Gabriel became more conscious. Blindly reaching over to the bedside table, he fumbled for the first cell he could find, luckily finding the right one. "Hello?"

"Is this Gabriel?" A male voice asked.

"Yes…"

"I'm Xander, Athena's…aide. Is she awake?"

Bowman glanced down at the still form in his arms. "Doesn't look like it."

"Okay. Tell her I'm making her take the day off, and I'll call if there's an emergency. I think you'll be able to convince her better."

"Listen, man, nothing…"

"Hey," Xander interrupted. "There's nothing between 'Thene and me. We just work together and are friends. So, you know, if you hurt her, I will hunt you down."

"Uh…okay."

The teen chuckled. "Just tell her stay home today. There are some bagels, doughnuts, croissants, etcetera, on the kitchen table. And tell her good morning for me."

"Okay. Later."

"Later."

Gabriel clicked the phone closed and just watched his sleeping beauty. She was half-laying on top of him, her head nestled on his shoulder and one leg over both of his. Half-wondering why she had not awoken with the phone ringing, his gaze fell on the Witchblade. The stone had finally regained its normal color, but pulses of green still streaked through on occasion. "Why are you doing that?" He asked softly, brushing his fingers over the stone. It chose not to answer, however.

Athena stirred, feeling someone watching her. Slowly blinking, she remembered the previous night and looked up to see Gabriel smiling down at her. "Morning, sweetheart."

"Mmm…morning," she purred, unaware of the effect it had on him.

"Darling, purring is very bad for my gentlemanly side," he grinned.

"Bad gentlemanly side."

A cell ringing shattered the teasing mood. "If that's Xander, I'll kill him," the girl mumbled, burying her face in Gabriel's shoulder.

"Nah, he called earlier. Besides, it's mine. Hello?" He said into the receiver.

"Gabe?"

"Sara?"

"Where are you?"

"How are you, too?" He grinned. "I'm at Athena's."

"I called your place, and you weren't there, so I was wondering if you were okay."

"Just peachy," he replied, running his fingers up and down Athena's shoulder. "You okay?"

"A little tired."

"How much have you been sleeping?" He asked, concerned.

"Well, usually, the Witchblade sends me dreams, but so far there's been nothing."

"No visions or anything?"

At his question, Athena glanced down at her bracelet, a questioning frown wrinkling her forehead.

"No," Sara replied, pushing back her long, mahogany hair. "Nothing."

He sat up. "That's…unusual, to say in the least."

"Don't I know it. Hey, has Athena learned anything?"

"It doesn't seem so."

"Well, if something does drop into your lap, call me, okay?"

"Of course. Later, Chief."

"Wait, Gabe?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you trust Athena?"

The said girl looked up at him seriously; there was no hesitation in his voice as he replied, "Yes. With my life."

"Why?"

"Do you want the entire list?"

That earned him a strange look from Athena, who then rolled off the bed and dug some clothes out of her closet.

Sara chuckled. "Maybe later."

"Okay, then. I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

Athena came out of the bathroom, dressed in a bulky blue sweater and jeans. "You should probably get dressed. I think I've got some clothes that will fit you somewhere."

"Um, when Xander called? He told me he was making you take the day off. And he brought breakfast. And to tell you good morning."

"Really? Funny, I should have heard him. You want some coffee?"

Frowning slightly, he nodded, and she went into the kitchen.

-------------------------

"You okay?" Gabriel finally asked.

Athena paused mid-bite of her croissant, and put it back on her plate. "Why do you trust me?"

"Because you fell asleep in my arms. Because you let me touch you…kiss you. And if you had ever wanted me dead, I would be," he replied without hesitating.

"How do you know I'm not just biding my time?"

"I'm trusting you aren't. Besides, why would you?" He shook his head. "Athena, those are just…added bonuses. I trust you because of a little incident in college, remember?"

She half-grinned. "I warned you about that frat party."

"And I didn't listen…we've been over this."

"Well, since you brought it up…" Cheerier, she put their dishes in the sink and was then pulled into his lap.

"I owe you my life, sweetheart," he said in all seriousness. "Why wouldn't I trust you?"

"Because…"

He silenced her with a soft kiss. "It doesn't matter." When she opened her mouth to protest, he placed a finger across her lips. "It. Doesn't. Matter. I still trust you, and I always will."

The next thing he knew, a desperate blonde attacked his mouth, and he fisted one hand in her hair, showing her the exact intensity of his feelings with lips, teeth, and tongue. "Wait…wait," he murmured against her lips, pulling back. "Not like this."

When she quested after his mouth, he forcefully held her back. "Athena, _no_."

Her lashes lowered. "You don't want to?"

Taking her hand, he placed it on his erection. "Does _this_ feel like I don't want to?"

She flushed, and he gently cupped her cheek before setting her on her feet. "Ah, sweetheart…I want you to love me when we make love."

"But I d---"

Again, he silenced her with his finger. "No, not yet. I know you feel for me, but can you honestly tell me you love me? After all those years of not feeling?"

"How did you…?"

"I researched. Are you sure you love me?"

Her gaze dropped; he gathered her close. "It'll happen when it's ready to happen. Let's not rush, okay? I promise, neither of us will regret it."

Closing her eyes, she relaxed against him; he ran his fingers through her hair, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

Then the phone rang.


	7. Where's Giles when you need him?

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Seven

Gabriel laughed quietly as Athena started to curse. "I'll get it," he told her, and went to pick up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Bowman?"

"Hey, Danny."

"What are you…nevermind, I don't really want to know. Is Athena…available?"

The antiques dealer choked back a laugh. "Uh, yeah, she's right here." Handing the phone to her, he mouthed, "Danny."

"What is it, grasshopper?" Her face melted from happy to the blank mask he knew so well. "I'll be right there."

"More?" Gabriel asked as she hung up.

"More," she replied grimly, grabbing an extra set of keys. "I'm sorry, but I've got to go. Lock up when you want to leave, okay?"

"Okay. Be---"

"Careful," she finished, smiling. "I will."

"Wait, before you leave…" he grabbed up the papers. "Glance at these."

She did so, and cursed more. "Can you get the originals to me sometime in the next few days?"

"Yeah, sure. See you later."

"Later," she replied, kissing him softly.

-------------------------

"Speak to me, Xand. What do we have?"

"They've cut down to six. Two in Ireland, two in Bulgaria, and two in Canada."

"All the countries have had two or more, right? Never just one?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Strange…okay, the murders happened three days last week, then started again…"

"Last night," Danny supplied.

"Three days…three days…where's Giles when you need him?"

A new voice answered. "Detectives? There's someone here saying he knows the Princess."

Sara, Danny, and Athena exchanged glances, heading for the front door as Xander stayed by the phone.

"I'm telling you, Athena knows me," a distinctive British voice was explaining not so patiently.

"_Perapa_?"

"Oh, thank god," Giles replied in relief. "Will you kindly tell these chaps who I am?"

"It's okay, guys. He's my…foster father. _Perapa,_ what are you doing here?"

"I'm, ah, I'm here to help you. I brought some books I think might help."

"Brilliant. Come on in." Taking his hand, she led him inside. "I thought you were in England."

"Well, I, ah, popped over to help my favorite daughter."

"G-man!" Xander exclaimed, coming over. "Good to see you!"

"And you, Xander," the Brit answered, grasping the teen's hand. "How have you been?"

"Not bad. Please say you're here to help?"

"I think so."

"Great! Athena was getting cranky."

Giles chuckled. "I have the Book of Xerad, and the Asara Chronicles. Also, there's the Watcher Diaries."

"And I'll send for some of my books."

"Oh, boy," Xander said with a decided lack of enthusiasm. "Research boy strikes again."

Athena and Giles shared a smile behind the teen's back.

-------------------------

"Here you are, Princess."

The tall blonde glanced up to see Diane placing boxes of books on the floor. "Thanks, Diane."

"Oh, and Detective Woo wants to talk to you. He's outside."

"Okay," Athena replied, going to meet Danny. "What's wrong?"

"Athena, I have always accepted…you, but this is getting insane. The bodies are piling up, and all we're doing is…reading!"

"Danny, this is a time when your world isn't going to do much good. I've looked at the bodies, and the reports, and there's _nothing_. No fingerprints, psychic or otherwise, no forensic evidence of any kind. And that's when my domain steps in."

"I hate not being able to do anything. How can you act so calm?"

"I'm a fantastic actor, Danny, and anger does me no good." She rubbed his shoulder. "Believe me, I know what you're feeling. I'm just as frustrated, I just hide it better. But believe me, we will end this."

He took a deep breath. "Do you honestly believe that?"

"Danny, I hate to sound arrogant, but so be it. I have never found anything that I could not defeat. Those things that go bump in the night? I know all of them by name, and probably created a few. Sad, but true."

Her speech had the desired effect; a rueful grin spread over his face. "Okay."

"Why don't you go have lunch with your wife today, grasshopper? Take a break for a few hours."

"I think I will." He went back inside, but Athena remained, leaning against the fence and gazing out to the docks.

Someone soon joined her, an arm draping around his shoulders, and she leaned against the solid comfort. "I'm scared, _Perapa_. What if I can't defeat this? What if this is the one thing that can kill me?" Her blue eyes rose to meet his warm brown ones. "I don't want to die, _Perapa_. Not anymore."

"Your job is even harder than Buffy's, isn't it?" He asked softly. "She can at least admit her fears openly, but you…you must hid them always, allowing only for the few unguarded moments you may have. Not even Xander knows all you feel, does he?" Squeezing her slightly, he continued, "I won't tell you I know you can handle this, because we both know you can, regardless of your fears. But I will tell you that I love you, and I will always be here for you, as your father and as your friend."

A single tear trekked down her cheek. "I never really knew what it was like to have a father…until you."

Clearing his throat, Giles took off his glasses and examined them. "Xander tells me there's a young man in your life. You do realize I will have to do 'the father thing'," he told her, trying to lighten the mood.

He succeeded; she wiped her face and flashed him a heart-stopping smile. "Thank you, _Perapa_."

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he smiled, almost wistfully. "Always, my dear. Always."


	8. I've got some gardening to do

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Eight

Seven hours later, Xander, Athena, and Giles were gathered around a large table, empty cups scattered amongst massive volumes. "Here's something…" Xander started, but neither of the others glanced up. They had all said that at least a dozen times in the past hours. "The Zerads eat the flesh of their enemies three days of their…nevermind, they have twelve-day weeks. We're looking for seven, right?"

"That, and the Zerads have been extinct for about a thousand years," Athena absently replied, leaning her head against her thumb and index finger. "Okay, y'know what? I'm blowing this joint. I'm going to go patrol." Dropping a kiss o the tops of their heads, she picked up her jacket, slinging it over her shoulder as she walked out, her Witchblade glinting at them.

-------------------------

The bar's interior was smoky and dim, not much different than the night outside. All conversation stopped as the girl entered, and she arched a slender brow. "It's going to be one of those nights, isn't it?"

A particularly slimy chaos demon stood. "What do you want, Princess?"

"Information, what else?" Nodding to the scaly bartender, she pushed past the demon.

He grabbed her shoulder; she whirled, her bracelet transforming into a gauntlet with a sword protruding. The antlered head fell to the floor, followed by the body, and Athena glanced around. "Now, I want to know everything you know about these murders." She held up her metal-encased fist. "And I want to know now."

-------------------------

"Pez, where are you going?" Danny called to his partner.

"A drive. Gonna clear my mind a bit," she replied. "Be back soon."

"Be careful," he said to empty air.

The brunette detective hopped on her bike, but did not get very far before the silver bracelet on her wrist began to hum. "What?" She asked it irritably through her helmet, stopping the motorcycle, and was surrounded by visions of Athena fighting an entire room of…demons? "Peachy," Sara muttered. "Where?"

Directions flashed into her head, and she roared to the nearby bar. However, she was a bit late. Athena was comfortably sitting on a barstool, sipping a drink as she waited for one of the unconscious demons to wake, and tapping her still-gauntleted fingers against the bar's surface. "Hullo, Sara," she greeted the detective. "Sorry you missed the fun. Next time, I'll save a few for you."

"Don't do me any favors. What the hell are you doing?"

"Getting information---" Athena flashed Sara a chilling smile. "---My way. Oh, look, someone's awake." Hopping off the stool, she grabbed a vampire by his shirt, hoisting him up. "Now, are you going to speak, or shall I do my sacred duty?"

"I don't know anything, I swear!"

"Pity," she murmured, and ripped his head off. Shaking the dust off her hands, she picked up a Ferargo demon. "How about you?"

"None of us know anything," he blubbered. "Truly, Princess, we know nothing!"

"Then tell me who does. Or am I going to have to convince you all again?"

"Wait," a Chura demon growled, painfully getting to his four feet. "Go to the Roses."

"I would not go to the Roses unless it was my last choice. Give me another option."

"If there is an answer, they will know. We do not."

"When do they bloom?"

"Twelve days from now."

"I don't _have_ twelve days."

-------------------------

"Hang on, I think I've got something," Xander muttered.

Giles glanced up from the Watcher Diaries. "Do tell."

"'The completeness of the death, hunger for the living. Bodies will crumble, spirits will reign.' Any ideas?"

"What is that?"

"Uh, the Asara Chronicles, Volume Five," the teen answered.

"Your pizza and doughnuts have arrived," Diane interrupted.

"Great," Xander said in relief.

"Are there any jellies?" Giles asked absently.

"Yeah, we got you jellies," Xander replied. "Hmm…Athena said these documents she found in a hilt said something about spirits…or invisible somethings…what do you think?"

"I think she should come back. Where did she go again?"

"To patrol, but probably to beat information out of the local demon populace."

"Oh. Where are those jellies?"

-------------------------

Gabriel Bowman stared hard at his screen, re-reading the text for the third time. "No way in hell," he said forcefully. "That can't be true."

-------------------------

The Chura demon grinned balefully. "Maybe you can make them bloom before, Princess, but that's all I know."

She brushed past him, Sara following. "Now where are you going?"

"I've got some gardening to do," the girl replied. "Tell Giles and Xander I'll be back by morning."

"No way. I'm going with you."

The girl stopped and stared into Sara's green eyes for a long, hard moment. "Fine. Call Danny, tell him we'll be back by morning."

The detective pulled out her cell as Athena went into an alley behind the bar, wheeling out a Harley. "Nice," she muttered, dialing Danny's phone.

"Thanks." She waited while Sara talked to her partner and got her own motorcycle.

"Where are we going?"

"Rockefeller Center," the girl replied, kicking her bike into gear.

"Why am I the only one wearing a helmet?" Sara asked, strapping it on.

"Because I can simply get up and see if there's any limbs missing, and go on. You, on the other hand, are not afforded that luxury, I would imagine. Let's go."

-------------------------

"What's this? 'The Roses bloom once a month, giving answers to those who seek.' What are the Roses?"

Giles glanced up. "They're…well, roses, but sentient roses. They answer questions that cannot be answered elsewhere."

"Where are they?"

"I believe Athena said they were under Rockefeller Center."

Xander looked up. "You don't think…?"

"Go after her!"

"Why?"

"The Roses demand a price for each answer. The more powerful the asker, the higher the price."

Xander's eyes widened, and he shot out the door.

-------------------------

"Where are we going again?" Sara asked as they pulled over a few blocks from Rockefeller Center.

"C'mon," was all the girl replied with, crouching by a man-hole. "This is the only way to them."

"To what, exactly?"

"The Roses." Not waiting for a reply, she dropped down into the sewer. Sara glanced around, cursed, and followed.

-------------------------

"Hey, Danny, is Athena around?" Gabriel asked after dialing the Asian's cell.

"Uh, no, she's out with Pez. Sara said they'd be in around morning."

"Morning? Why would they…" Gabriel trailed off, his eyes widening. "Uh, thanks, Danny. I've got to go," he hurriedly added before hanging up.

"Gabriel?" Danny asked, but was answered only by silence.

The antiques dealer was already out the door, slinging his jacket over his shoulders.

****

EAN: ::mysterious music plays:: What are the Roses, you ask? Read on, and find out. ::cackles evilly:: Seriously, though, stay tuned…


	9. Entry to the Roses

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Nine

Sara shook some slime off her shoe as Athena stopped in front of a particularly slimy section of wall. "What are these Roses?"

"Blooms infused with the magic of knowledge," the girl replied. "They're very rarely visited."

"Why?"

"Their price," was the cryptic answer. "Hush. I need to remember the combination."

"What comb---" Sara cut herself off as the slime twisted, leaving a simple circle of stone.

Athena whispered something, and the stone melted away to reveal a solid gold sundial. "Open to the East," she muttered, turning the dial to the Roman numeral III with her mind. "Open to the South." It went to the VI. "Open to the West." It turned to the IX. "And open to the North." With a final twist, the dial rested on the XII, and the girl stepped back, eyes narrowed. "I, the Princess Athena, do command, open and grant me entry."

With an echoing shriek, the stone ground apart, and Sara blinked, rubbed her eyes, and blinked again. Instead of sewer muck, or even bare stone, a soft, lush moss stretched as far as she could see. "What?"

"The Garden of the Roses. Do you dare to step in?"

Jaw set, Pezzini's green eyes squarely met Athena's blue ones, and the two women stepped through the portal.

-------------------------

Gabriel jogged up to the manhole guarding the entry to the Garden to see another dark-haired man crouched next to the yawning mouth. "Xander?" He called out.

"You must be Gabriel," Xander replied, straightening. "Nice to meet you."

"Sara and Athena---"

"Are down there. I know. I was following her when she suddenly…cut off." He began to crawl down the ladder, then glanced up at Bowman. "Well? Are you coming?"

"The things I do for that girl," Gabriel muttered, following Xander down.

"Tell me about it," Harris agreed. "What's that noise?"

"The entry to the Garden is closing. Come on!"

They began to run through the muck, turning a corner to see the stone grinding closed. Xander shoved Gabriel through and threw himself in just before the rock shut. "Whew," he breathed, then turned his head and saw his surroundings. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

"Okay…Dorothy," Gabriel cracked. "Can you sense Athena?"

The Immortal teen concentrated. "There's something here messing me up. I can't sense her. Hang on…" The next thing Gabriel knew, Xander was on his feet, pointing a sword at the antiques dealer. "How did you know…"

Gabriel held up his hands in placation. "I know you're Immortal because that's what I do. Also, Athena told me a long time ago. I kind of noticed that she never changed from looking like she was nineteen, and knew my grandfather in the Depression. I'm young, not stupid."

"Not much older than me," the boy muttered, putting up his blade. "Athena trusts you, and that's rare, so you have a chance. Screw it up, and there'll be hell to pay."

"I understand."

"Now, why aren't there any defenses? Most places I go to, there would be all sorts of things attacking us by now."

"Uh…as far as I can remember reading about them, the Roses can protect themselves from any enemy. We'll be to them soon, I think."

"That's great. Which direction?"

"Doesn't matter. The Roses are everywhere."

-------------------------

Athena stopped, tilting her head to the side. "Xander and Gabe are here."

"What the hell are they doing?"

"Probably trying to stop up. The Roses don't have an exactly…spotless reputation."

"Athena, are you trying to kill me?"

"Good lord, no. I'm the one asking the questions, I'm the one who has to pay the price. You just insisted to come along."

The detective caught Athena's shoulder, pulling her to a halt. "What price? What are you talking about?"

The blonde sighed, pressing her forefinger to her lips in thought. "Okay, the Roses demand a price for every answer they provide. The more powerful the asker, the more…'expensive' the price."

"How can this all grow?"

"They feed off the sewer."

"Don't they need rain or water of some kind?"

Athena smiled. "Their water…they feed on blood for their water. That can be one of the prices."

A suspicion grew in the brunette's mind. "What price did you have to pay?"

"Don't worry about it, and come on. We need to be out of here by morning."

"Why?" Sara asked as they walked.

"Time passes differently here in the daylight. Why not at night, I don't know, but it does. We could leave here at noon, and it would be twenty years in the past or future. I think some spells went wrong. That's why it does so."

Sara glanced at her watch. "We have five hours until dawn."

Athena merely nodded, and they hurried on.

-------------------------

Danny popped his head into Athena's office, where Giles was still researching. "Where's Athena and Pez?"

"Uh, searching for information, I understand," the Brit replied, thumbing through an Egyptian book of prophesy.

"What are you researching?"

"Um, prophecies. I've noticed they can…give us a heads up, you could say."

"Okay, I'm going to go on home."

"I'll stay here and keep researching."

"Call me if Athena or Pez checks in?"

"Oh, yes, of course, if you'll leave your number."

Hastily scribbling it on a scrap of paper, the Asian handed it to the ex-Watcher. "I hope they're okay," he muttered, almost to himself, as he left.

"So do I," Giles replied, too low to hear.

-------------------------

Athena and Sara thoughtfully gazed at the tangled mass of thorns and closed buds. "So…" Sara mused. "What now?"

"I've got to make them bloom," Athena replied.

"Will that drive the price up?"

"Probably."

"I take it you've been here before?"

"A few times."

"What was the price then?"

"High," was the cryptic answer. "Very, very high."

****

EAN: Will the Princess receive her answer? Come back next week!


	10. High Prices

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Ten

"Make them mad by tearing off a bud?"

"And have them use those lovely thorns to rip us apart? I said they weren't blooming, not that they weren't awake. Besides, even if they were, they'd definitely wake up after having a limb torn off, don't you think?"

"Well, surely there's _something_ you can do?"

"Actually…I think there is…" The girl went to one knee, lifting a bud gently up in her hands. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, and the bud slowly opened, revealing dark purple petals with black insides.

"Pretty," the detective mused, glancing around. "Can we get this done with now?"

"So impatient," Athena laughed, glancing up at her.

"Uh, Athena..."

The girl followed the detective's gaze to the wall of Roses, and arched a brow. The entire wall had burst into bloom the echoes of Athena's laugh seeming to tingle against their petals. "My," was all the girl said. "Maybe they're happy to see me?"

"Either that, or we're about to die," Sara replied.

"Point."

A particularly large flower lifted up to them, and Athena bent close. Sara glanced around patiently as the Princess and Rose spoke silently. "What the _hell_?" Athena suddenly exclaimed.

"What?"

"The answer was, a usual, right in front of me," the girl sighed. "Go find Gabe and Xander, and wait for me."

"What are you doing?"

"Paying my price."

The detective's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

"Sara, just go! I'll catch up with you as soon as I can." She clasped the Wielder's shoulder. "I'll be fine."

Biting her bottom lip, Sara jogged off, and Athena turned back to the thorny wall. "One price to pay," she murmured, taking off her Witchblade. "One life to give."

-------------------------

"Sara?" Gabriel called as he saw the tall detective jog toward them. "Where's Athena?"

"'Paying her price,' she said."

Xander and Gabriel exchanged startled glances, then broke into a run.

"What's wrong?" Sara asked as they ran.

"They're going to kill her," Gabriel replied, speeding up.

"_What?_" Xander and Sara both exclaimed. "Giles didn't tell me that, dammit!" the teen cursed.

"Okay, can I explain later? Right now, the Princess is probably getting her life sucked out of her. Come _on!_"

-------------------------

Athena, her eyes closed, sank to her knees as the thorny tendrils around her wrists sank into her flesh. Her blood dribbled around the wounds the blooms were inflicting, falling to the earth below and nourishing the ground. She did not hear the approaching footsteps, did not feel the earth beneath her knees. The last drops of her blood fell from her wrists; she slumped, unaware, into Gabriel's arms as the thorns retreated.

Bowman smoothed back her hair with a shaking hand as Xander kneeled by the two. "She should be fine after a few hours sleep," he announced. "Take her back to your place, it'll be quieter."

"What are you going to do?" Gabriel asked, scooping the girl up in his arms.

"Destroy these things."

"You can't. We'll never get out of here alive."

"They killed her!" Xander seethed, pulling out his blade.

Gabriel caught his arm, laying Athena gently on the ground. "Do you think I'm happy about that? Do you think I _don't_ want to kill these things? I do, believe me, I do. But if I want us to stay alive, _they_ need to stay life. I'm not _about_ to let her die so you can have some petty vengeance." By now, the two men's faces were about an inch away, and Xander finally nodded, albeit angrily.

"Fine. At least...oh, god, her father's going to _kill_ her when she wakes up!"

"Father?"

"Oh, yeah…ask her when she wakes up." The teen sighed, rubbing his eyes as he sheathed his sword. "I don't know about you, but I am suddenly tired. I hate it when she does this."

"She's going to have a whole bunch of people lined up to yell at her, isn't she?" Gabriel asked as they walked toward the wall.

"You have no idea."

"Hang on, where's her bracelet?"

"Probably in her pocket." Xander dug the jewelry out and placed it back on her wrist.

"Uh, guys? Any ideas on how we're supposed to get out of here?" Sara interrupted.

"The doors should be open," Gabriel mused. "Exiting is always permitted."

As he had guessed, the stone wall was parted, and they quickly left, scrambling up the ladder to the streets above. "Take her home, make sure she gets plenty of sleep and food," Xander instructed, giving the girl back to Bowman. "The magically-caused deaths are always the hardest. That and poison, but anyway." Pressing a kiss to Athena's forehead, he then clapped Gabriel's shoulder. "Take care of her."

"Of course," Gabriel replied, cradling her close.

"Sara, come on," Xander said. "I'll take you home."

"Will she be okay?"

"Yeah, fine. She just needs rest." Still, he cast a worried glance over his shoulder as Gabriel hailed a taxi.

-------------------------

Athena stirred, and Gabriel knelt by the bed, smoothing a stray hair back from her face. "Are you awake?" He asked quietly, then noticed the Witchblade glowing on her wrist. "What are you telling her?"

Blue eyes opened unseeingly as Athena began to thrash on the bed. Gabriel desperately tried to hold down her arms, but she threw him off, and he flew against his bedroom wall. "Ow," he groaned, stiffly standing. Athena had gone completely rigid, her spine arched as her face contorted. "Athena!" He called to her, then saw the Witchblade glowing a fiery crimson. "Let her go!" He shouted at it. When nothing happened, he reached over to take her face in his hands. "Athena, come on, get out of this. Come on, sweetheart, wake up!"

His hand brushed against her bracelet; it snaked out tendrils of silver, wrapping around his wrist. "What the…?" He managed to get out before the Witchblade sucked him into Athena's mind.

-------------------------

He found her in the middle of a featureless plain, her knees tucked under her chin, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. He merely crouched by her, following her wide-eyed gaze to where two figures were fighting. "Your brother?" He asked, and she slowly nodded.

"I relive this constantly," she whispered. "The way he looked…what he did…oh, god…"

Gabriel felt his entire body constrict as he saw the lifeless bundle fall to the ground. Blinking back his tears as her pain, he gathered her close, holding her head to his chest. "Sweetheart, we've got to get out of here."

She shook her head against him. "Every time I die, I wonder if it's really worth it all to go back."

"It is," he said with a ferocity that surprised her. Softening his tone, he cupped her cheek in his hand. "It is, Athena. Stop torturing yourself with all of this." Gently prying her hands away from her legs, he helped her up. "And as much as I love you, I don't feel right here."

The next thing he knew, he was back in his body, and Athena was sitting up, hands over her eyes. "You love me?"

"You haven't figured that out by now?" He sat on the edge of the mattress. "I could have killed you, I was so worried when I figured you were going to the Roses."

"Oh, god, _Perapa…_he _is_ going to kill me."

"_Perapa?_"

"My foster father, kind of."

"Yeah, Xander told me to ask you about him."

"Rupert Giles 'adopted' me about three years ago because I made him. He's the first real father I've ever had."

"Which means he wants to meet me?" Gabriel grinned. "Considering I'm the new man in your life."

"Of course."

He took her hands away from her eyes, pressed his lips to her palms. "Are you okay?"

"Could you…could you just hold me?" She whispered. "I…I don't want to be strong for awhile."

Silently laying down, he spooned his body to hers, curling around her, and she snuggled into the protection.

And after she fell back asleep, he kissed away her quiet tears.


	11. Answers of a Sort

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Eleven

Giles glanced up worriedly. "How is she?"

"Sleeping it off at Gabriel's apartment," Xander replied, taking off his coat. "God, the things that girl does…"

"I should say so. What happened?"

"I don't know. All Sara would say was, 'She got her answer.' I think she's in a bit of shock. Then we found her dead, those damned Roses drinking her blood."

"Did you destroy them?"

"No, though I wanted to. I was told that we wouldn't have been able to get out alive."

"Who else was with you? And who is this Gabriel?"

"Sara and Gabriel were also there, and Gabriel is the 'young man' I told you about, though he's older than me." Xander sunk into a chair, tiredly rubbing his eyes. "I'm gonna go crash upstairs, G-man. There's a bed up there if you want it."

"I shall probably take that offer up later. Right now, I'm in the middle of more…prophecies."

"Oh, yeah, Sara also said something about 'it was right in front of her'? What do you think?"

"I think we can only answer that when Athena comes in."

-------------------------

Gabriel, try as he might, could not sleep. His mind kept wandering back to what he had found. Surely that was not always true? Surely it only turned green because she loved him? Still, he knew what was going to happen, and was determined to fight against it. He would not lose her without a fight.

The sleeping girl stirred in his arms, and he unconsciously held her closer, propping his head up on his other hand. In these short few weeks, she had laughed and smiled more than ever before in his entire knowing her. She had let a sort of playful side come out, and was falling in love with him. That in itself made him want to fight for her. The fact that he, Gabriel Bowman, had something that made her love him, was worth everything. Softly sighing, he glanced around his apartment; his gaze landed on a particular item, and a slightly mischievous grin crossed his face. He would probably get the crap beaten out of him, but it would be worth it.

-------------------------

A few hours later, Athena finally awoke to the smell of homemade tomato soup and looked up into Gabriel's warm eyes before he kissed her softly, then moved so she could sit up. Grimacing at the soreness in her wrists, she quirked a brow when the Witchblade began to fuss at her. "Oh, shut up," she told it.

"Who?" Gabriel asked, raising a brow at her.

She held up her arm. "Stupid piece of jewelry."

"Now, love, don't say that. I don't need to be skewered by an angry bracelet," he admonished. "Hungry?"

"As a matter of fact..."

"Then I will be right back." He hopped off the bed and soon returned with a tray.

"I thought you said you couldn't cook."

"I lied. Mom taught us all how to make tomato soup. Here, open your mouth."

"I'm not a child," she grumbled, but opened her mouth and let him deposit a spoonful of soup.

"But you're so cute," he teased, handing her the spoon. "Do you want some crackers or something?"

"Cheese?"

"Be right back." Dropping a kiss on the top of her head, he went back to the kitchen.

When he came back with a plate of shredded Cheddar, Athena was idly stirring her soup, staring at the ripples. "You okay?" He asked in concern.

"I'm...I'm just glad you were holding me when I woke up."

He simply cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "I needed to make sure you would be okay. And I wanted to be the first thing you'd see."

She merely smiled, then resumed her thoughtful look.

"Okay, now what?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about what the Roses told me."

"What _did_ they tell you?"

She laughed slightly, drinking the rest of her soup. "They gave me my answer."

"What? What answer?"

"I've got to get to HQ."

"Uh-uh," he held her down. "Xander told me to let you rest. Something about magic-caused deaths being the hardest to come out of?"

"And the fact that I'm older than anything I've ever met, except maybe Dick Clark, has buffered me considerably. I'll be fine," she replied, wriggling out of his grasp.

"What answer?" He called out as she picked up her jacket.

Her reply came in one word. "Akri."

-------------------------

Giles glanced up as Athena wordlessly dropped into her chair and began to hastily flip through books. "So…" he started. "Dare I ask about last night?"

"I know I saw that story somewhere," she grumbled in answer.

Giles reached over and took her hands in both of his. "Stop it, Athena, and give me a straight answer. What the hell happened last night?"

"The Roses answered my question with one word, because that's all they do. Which means we still have research to do."

"And the word?"

"Akri. It's the name of a Sumerian princess, who went through some stuff a few millennium ago…where the hell are those papers?"

"Athena, what are you talking about?"

"Gabe translated something for me last week, and it had a hint…" Moving a book out of the way with her mind, considering Giles was still holding her hands, she caught sight of what she was looking for. "Bingo. Have you ever heard of Coba?"

"The ruler of the Babylonian Empire…yes."

"His daughter was named Akri, and he was writing about what was happening to her. Unfortunately, the rest was just babble. Gabe's going to bring me the originals."

"All right then. What _was_ happening to Akri?"

"I have no idea. _That's_ what we have to find out."

"Princess, there's a delivery for you," a cop interrupted.

Athena glanced up and took the box. "Delivery?" Lifting the lid, she dug through the tissue paper to find a soft, chocolate-brown teddy bear. "What the hell?"

Xander came in the office and found Athena staring at the toy. "Where did you get that?"

"I don't…hang on, there's a card." Setting the plushie down, she read silently, _"For you to hold when I can't hold you. For you to know that I'm with you and loving you, no matter where you are. Gabriel."_

Giles read over the girl's shoulder and smiled. "I definitely want to meet this young man now."

"Wait, officer, who delivered this?" The girl asked the cop.

"Some guy with dark hair and too many rings."

In a second, the girl shot outside, straight into a pair of waiting arms.

Giles and Xander, following at a more sedate pace, came out to see Athena and Gabriel locked together in the middle of a New York sidewalk, showing all that passed by exactly how they felt about each other.

Clapping and catcalls broke the two apart, and they rested their foreheads against each other's, smiling. "Thank you," she whispered, and he stole another kiss before they turned to see everyone in the warehouse clustered around the door, clapping and calling. Xander, of course, was wolf-whistling. "Ah, break it up!" Athena called out jokingly.

Giles came down the steps, holding out a hand. "You must be this Gabriel I've heard so much about."

"Yeah, I'm Gabriel Bowman," Bowman replied, shaking Giles' hand, his other arm around Athena's waist. "You must be Rupert Giles, her foster-father. It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Athena, I think we should all have dinner together tonight?"

"Yes, _Perapa_," she teased. "Gabe, meet us at the Palace at eight?"

"I'll be there. Oh, and I brought those originals."

She quickly glanced through them. "I can't keep these here…do you mind?"

"Never," he grinned. "But I'll keep them."

"Thanks. I'll come by tonight. Yes, _Perapa_, I'm coming in," she laughed, then pressed her lips to Gabriel's one more time. "I'll see you tonight. And I love the bear."

Laughing, he let her go and went back home.

****

EAN: Next chapter, the "What are your intentions?" dinner. Should be interesting…


	12. The Meet the Parents Dinner and a Leetle...

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Twelve

"Princess, how good to see you!" Fredric, head cook of the Palace, laughed, noisily kissing both her cheek.

"Fredric," she replied fondly. "I was here just six months ago."

"Six months too long. Come, let me show you to a table."

"I have someone meeting us."

"A young gentleman?"

"Perhaps."

"And this is…?" The cook asked, catching sight of Giles.

"Rupert Giles, my…foster-father. _Perapa_, this is Fredric."

The two men shook hands. "A friend of the Princess's is a friend of mine," the dark-haired cook declared. "Come, follow me, and tell me when your young man arrives." He snapped his fingers; a waiter picked up an extra table and weaved through the crow to place it in a shadowed corner near the kitchen. "Anything you need, call me, yes?"

"Gabriel's here," Giles said, nodding toward the dark-haired man.

"I will show him over," Fredric announced, straightening his chef's hat, and Athena sighed.

"Don't scare him off, dear. I like this one."

She received a wink in reply.

-------------------------

"What did he tell you?" The girl asked suspiciously as the two arrived at the table.

"That you were the best woman he knew and if I hurt you, he would boil me alive," Gabriel replied, kissing her alabaster cheek and presenting her with a rose. "For you, my lady. Where's your bear?"

"Wings is at my apartment," she answered.

A grin split his face at the name.

"And what shall we have tonight?" The cook asked, producing menus.

"My usual, if you please, Fredric," the girl replied.

"Chicken and turkey Fettuccini Alfredo with extra cheese in the sauce," he replied by rote. "And your gentlemen?"

After the two had ordered, Giles glanced at Athena. "Not to be rude, my dear, but you need to powder your nose."

"That is one of the worst excuses I have ever heard," she teased. "I'll be back in a little while."

Once she was out of earshot, Rupert pinned Gabriel with his gaze. "Now we can speak freely."

Gabriel gulped.

-------------------------

When the girl came back ten minutes later, the two men were discussing the history of Inca gods. Giles nodded almost imperceptibly as she sat back down, and she let out a silent sigh of relief.

-------------------------

After dinner, Gabriel unlocked his door and led Athena in. "So what did he say?" She asked.

"Mainly, if I hurt you, he kills me."

"That's all?"

"No, then he quizzed me on my family, my job, and so on. _Then_ we started to talk about the Incas," he laughed, settling into his chair.

She perched on the arm. "I'm glad you two like each other. You're two of the most important men in my life."

He merely smiled at her, and she bent her head, kissing him hard for a brief moment. "I'd better look at those papers."

"There's only seven pages left," he told her. "The first three were the journal entry, I guess."

On a random thought, she held one of the pages up to the light and frowned. "There's writing under these words." Waving a hand, she lit a flame in mid-air and began to hold the pages over it.

"Nothing's happening," Gabriel muttered.

"Just wait," Athena replied as the paper began to glow.

The letters shifted and crawled over the parchment. Athena's chair suddenly shot backwards; the paper floated to the floor. "My," she managed to get out as a blue glow overtook her bracelet, and it shifted into sword form.

"Athena…?" Gabriel asked warily, but she jerked up a hand to silence him.

Her arm shot upright, the tip of her blade disappearing. "Crap," she muttered.

"What?"

"It's pierced the veil of time," she replied as the Witchblade sliced downward, splitting the air into two.

"What are you doing?"

Athena merely held out her left hand. "It wants us to go," she told him calmly.

He studied her hard, then wrapped his slender fingers around hers. And they stepped through.

-------------------------

"Um, where are we?"

"Babylonian Empire," Athena answered as her bracelet resumed its more innocent form. "We're outside the throne room." Brow arched, she rested her hand against the wall and watched it go through the stone. "Hmm."

"What's going on, sweetheart?" Gabriel asked, crossing his arms.

"We are, in effect, ghosts. Come on, let's see if we're when I think we are."

They went through the door; Gabriel shuddered at the feel of passing through wood. Athena flashed him a quick smile. "Weird, isn't it?"

"Very."

"Yes, there's Coba," she mused. "He aged so quickly…this must be right when Akri fell ill…"

"Then let's go check her out."

The couple headed trough a series of corridors and walls, until Athena suddenly stopped. "She's in here," she told him, pulling him through the last door. "Oh, my lord…"

Gabriel blinked at the form on the bed. What had once been an exquisite girl was ruined by multiple bite-marks, rendering her to just a form tied to a bed. "This is Akri? Why is she tied?"

"To keep from biting herself," was the soft reply as the Princess knelt by the bed, ghosting her hand over the girl. "What could have done this?"

"Why is it ghosts never fall through the floor?" Gabriel asked, as was his fashion.

"What?"

He repeated the question.

"Mindset," she said absently. "Ghosts are humans, so they still think like humans, therefore can walk on floors."

"Really?"

"Not a clue. But it sounded good," she smiled.

"Um, what are you looking for?"

"Honestly? I don't know. But we're here for a reason, hence I look." She sat back on her heels, sighing in frustration. "This is the first time I have never found any psychic residue."

He crouched beside her, pity in his eyes. "This poor girl…"

"I know." Athena turned back to business. "Look at these bite marks. They're the same as on the victims in our time, which means what's doing this is causing us trouble back home." She bit her thumbnail. "Let's go back to the throne room. There's nothing else here." Still, before they left, she concentrated, and bent to kiss the girl's forehead.

Gabriel merely took her hand, and they headed out.

-------------------------

Once back in the throne room, Athena paced around the people, skillfully avoiding collisions. "What am I not seeing?" She fretted, then slowly turned.

The doors opened; a tall, cloaked figure strode through. With a flourish, he tossed his hood back, revealing milky skin and coppery hair; Athena's eyes widened. "Dasseren?" She whispered, while Gabriel gave a low whistle. The newcomer's eyes were literally bathed in dark flame.

The man named Dasseren suddenly stopped, his gaze sweeping the room, and halting on Gabriel. A grin split his swarthy face, and Athena was moving before she realized it, racing to Bowman. "Stay behind me," she hissed.

If anything, Dasseren's grin merely grew wider, and he held up a hand.

Athena barely had time to hold up her right arm before a whirlwind of sand engulfed them.


	13. I Hate This Job

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Thirteen

Blindly reaching for the choking Gabriel, Athena cursed and shot her gauntleted fist upwards. Time ripped, and the two fell through, landing hard on Gabriel's floor.

The Princess crawled to Bowman, finding he wasn't breathing. Frantically opening his mouth, she pressed her lips to his, and inhaled deeply.

The sand in his body came out, swallowed by the girl as she saved his life. His eyes shot open, the cuts on his body healing, as she fell to the side, coughing up sand and blood.

Once she had cleared her system, she felt his hands on her biceps and gratefully leaned back against the support. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

"I think I should ask you that," she smiled weakly.

"And I think you just saved my life…again." Tilting her face up, he captured her lips with his, both expressing their relief at the other's health. Finally, they broke apart, and he rested her forehead against hers. "Now, I take it you know that guy?"

"Dasseren. He's an immortal…warlock."

-------------------------

Sara, Danny, and Jake gazed at the girl in slight disbelief. Gabriel simply shook his head; Xander and Giles rubbed their eyes and murmured in unison, "I hate this job."

After Athena's announcement, she and Gabriel had headed for her headquarters with the Sumerian documents, and now Athena was explaining what had happened.

"A warlock? As in magic?" Danny asked.

"Is it so hard to believe, grasshopper?"

Jake rubbed a hand through his hair. "So what do we do?"

"These last pages of this document…they've changed into a spell and its directions. Unfortunately, they don't tell what they're bewitching or destroying or whatever. I can't even figure out which order they go in."

"What?" Sara asked. "Order?"

"There're seven pages, luv, which means they form a particular pattern. I can't read them until I figure out that pattern." She picked at her bottom lip. "Now, Akri was chewed severely, like dogs on a T-bone steak. She was bound to her bed to keep her from biting herself, but there was no psychic residue, like on the victims, which makes this harder."

"And I ask again, what do we do?" Jake re-iterated.

"We have got to find Coba's entire story, and find out why those papers ended up in Cornwall's hilt. Something tells me he had a big part somewhere."

"'Thene, what happened after Cornwall asked for this hilt?" Xander asked.

"I was called to Australia to stop three wars, and didn't get back to England for about fifteen years. Cornwall had died in battle with his daughter and most of his people, or so I was told."

"It could be this was happening back then, and somehow it was stopped," Gabriel mused, leaning forward in his chair. "Did Cornwall have an Egyptian or Mesopotamian servant?"

"Actually, yes," Athena replied, beginning to pace. "Perath."

"What did you know about him?"

"Not much. My mind was on other things at the time. Um…Cornwall picked him up on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Babylon had fallen by then, obviously."

"But the people didn't," Gabriel replied.

"Of course…the Assyrian Empire, when it trans-located all those people…" The girl knelt beside a random box and dug through it. "Perath was very quiet…god, what isn't making sense? I'm not normally this stupid!"

The group deemed it wise not to answer. "What exactly are you looking for, my dear?" Giles asked.

"We have a two thousand or five thousand year gap. I'm looking for the pieces to that puzzle."

"Wait, you said this Doo-wop dude saw you. How?"

"Jake, his name is Dasseren, and he's a warlock. I'm surprised he didn't kill us."

"Actually, I'm happy about that," Gabriel grinned. "Choking on sand? Doesn't sound a particularly pleasant way to die."

Athena flashed him a quick smile. "It's not, believe me. Now, there has got to be history book around here somewhere."

"Well, let's think about this," Xander mused. "He's a warlock, right? What do warlocks want most?"

"Power usually," Giles replied.

"And power attracts chicks..." the teen trailed off.

"Xander, please," the Princess groaned.

"Sorry, 'Thene."

"Besides, Dasseren had more than enough power. He was never really into that gig," the girl continued. "He was particularly fascinated with the dimensions of Hell."

"Were you this guy's teacher?" Gabriel asked.

"Good lord, no. We met in a bar, drank, talked, and then I had to pop off and save the universe."

"And you didn't destroy him...why?"

"I was told not to. Something about he had a part to play in prophecy."

"I _hate_ prophecy," Xander ground out fervently.

"You and me both, honey. Whoa..." the girl suddenly went still.

"What's wrong?" Danny demanded when she did not respond to them.

"She's in a trance," Gabriel replied, discreetly covering her flashing bracelet and nodding to Xander.

"And Pezzini seems to have mastered the act of falling asleep with her eyes open," Xander laughed, closing the detective's eyes, and also covering her right wrist. "I'll take her upstairs. Bowman, can you get 'Thene?"

"Yeah, sure," Gabriel hoisted the girl up in his arms and followed the teen up to the second floor.

"What's really happening?" The Immortal Aide asked as they laid the two women on separate beds.

"It looks like the Witchblades have them. We can only wait until they wake up."

"Then let's go research. How many languages can you read?"

"Enough. You?"

"English, barely," Xander admitted. "Giles can read about five, I think."

"Sounds like fun."

"You have no idea."

-------------------------

Sara and Athena thrashed on their beds, their minds on overload from the barrage of their bracelets. Flashes of bodies, of blood, and of flames assaulted, and they were suddenly deposited in the middle of a featureless plain, the distant edges blocked by thick fog. "Oh, not a-bloody-gain," Athena groaned.

"Where the hell are we?" Sara demanded.

"The domain of the Witchblade."

"What are we doing here?"

"To learn to trust each other," Athena sighed. "Bloody bracelet."

"It's done this before?" 

"A few times. I don't think we'll be getting the answers we need until we trust each other…actually, until you trust me." 

"What about you?"

"I've trusted each Wielder. Otherwise, you wouldn't be Wielding," Athena replied, gazing around their surroundings.

"Did you know Joan of Arc?"

"I'm the one who first placed the Witchblade upon her young wrist…as it probably told you when you first saw me."

"That flash of pain…"

"Two halves of the same whole, the pain of separation, maybe. When I made these, I gave them mind of their own. Perhaps that was a mistake."

"Why are you helping us?"

"It's my job. I'm the princess. I fight the forces of evil."

"I've heard you could be called evil."

"You have to know what you're fighting against."

"Tell me why I should trust you?"

"It's never that easy Lara. You have to figure it out on your own. Otherwise, we would not be here."


	14. He's Going to End

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Fourteen

Gabriel and Xander exchanged glances. "I'm gonna check on the girls," Gabriel announced, scooting his chair back.

"Don't let Pez hear you calling her a girl," Danny laughed tiredly.

"Tell me about it," Bowman called back, heading up the stairs.

The two women were now lying still, and Gabriel thoughtfully pulled a sheet over each, then pulled up a chair and sat, studying them.

-------------------------

"How am I supposed to figure out how to trust you?"

"Even if I knew, I don't think it's something I can say. Why do you trust Gabriel?"

"I…I really don't know. The first time we met, it was like there was this major connection."

"I felt the same when we met over ten years ago. He's got an old soul, one bound to the cycle of time." Athena faced Sara. "What did the Witchblade tell you when you first saw me?"

"Uh…I felt like I had known you for years…that you were the one thing that could explain this thing."

"Well, actually…it kinda explains itself."

"The previous Wielders all trusted you."

"I would imagine so."

"How?"

Athena arched a brow. "Hmm?"

"How could you have known all those women? How could you have forged the Witchblade?"

"You haven't figured it out by now?"

"Obviously not."

The blonde held up her hands. "Sorry. Sara, I'm Immortal."

-------------------------

Ian Nottingham strode into the warehouse, heading straight for Athena's office. "Where is she?" he asked without preamble.

"You Nottingham?" Giles asked.

"Yes."

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Gabriel asked scathingly, pushing by the assassin. "An extra order from your _dead_ master?"

"Where is she?" Ian asked again.

"Upstairs," Rupert replied, gesturing.

Ian jerked a short nod and brushed by Bowman.  
"Are you _insane?_" Gabriel asked angrily. "That was Kenneth Iron's top assassin!"

"And one of Athena's closes friend," Giles answered calmly, cleaning his glasses. "If I didn't believe so, do you honestly believe I would have let him go up there?"

-------------------------

Ian fell to his knees between the two beds, taking the two Wielders' hands in his, and bent his head, concentrating.

-------------------------

The ground shuddered beneath the two women, and they fell into a crouch. "What's going on?"

"Ian's trying to help us."

"Ian Nottingham?! What is that nut doing here?"

"Like I said, I think he's trying to help us." The girl glanced down at her bracelet. "Enough of this. Show us what is known. _Now_."

Once again, the two were overwhelmed with images.

-------------------------

With a start, the two shot up in their beds, nearly knocking Ian over. "He's going to end the universe," they said in unison.


	15. Revelations

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Fifteen

"How?"

"I didn't see that. All I was shown was all the universes, this one and all parallel, ending, the inhabitants becoming slaves in Hell," Athena replied.

"Why? What's the point?"

"Remember what I said? When we met, he could not shut up about Hell. I thought it mad fancy. Apparently, I was wrong."

"Like that ever happens," Xander cracked, and felt his hair ruffle as she lightly smacked the back of his head.

"Funny, luv. Very funny."

"And you had the same dream?" Danny asked Sara.

"Strangely, yeah. I guess Athena was leaking out massive energy, and it hit me."

_"Good answer,"_ the girl thought at the Wielder.

"Are you saying that Dasseren is the one who's eating all those people?"

"No, I don't think even he could be in so many places at once." The girl began to pace. "So we have a who, but not a what. What could he summon to do these things?"

"Demons?"

"Too obvious. Everybody immediately assumes demons. Besides, it's pretty hard to mask demons, and these things are invisible, according to Coba. And no, it's not ghosts. Ghosts can't actually touch physical objects unless they concentrate really hard, and this is not acts of concentration."

"How many victims have there been over all?" Gabriel asked, flipping through a massive volume written in Sanskrit.

"Six hundred and thirty."

The young "antiques" dealer raised a brow at the number. "Wait, here's something…'666 being the number of hell, so it takes six hundred sixty-six sacrifices, taken three days of the seven.' Any ideas?"

Athena began to read over his shoulder. "Yeah, it's a way to end the universe. It must what he's planning to do…Which means he has thirty-six to go."

"More like twelve," Diane interrupted. "We have twenty-four new bodies, spanning…"

"The last two days," Athena finished. "We have until tomorrow to end this."

"Not enough time," Jake muttered.

"It's got to be." The girl turned. "Giles, Xander, we'll keep researching. Gabe, I'm sure you have resources for this type of stuff _somewhere_. Find them, get what you can."

"Gone."

"And take these papers with you. You're the safest place right now."

He merely gathered up the parchment. "I'll do what I can." He wrapped her in a brief hug and kissed her forehead. "Get some sleep."

"No time," she muttered distractedly. "Get back to me as soon as you can."

"Will do." Tossing a mock-salute at the group, he left.

"What do you want us to do?" Danny asked.

"Go get some sleep," she replied. "If you're exhausted, you don't fight as well."

"Is it going to get that big?" Jake asked.

"Probably bigger. Sara, can I speak to you outside?"

"Uh, sure," the detective replied, following her out.

"I take it you haven't told Danny about the Witchblade?"

"No, I haven't. It never seemed right."

"Well, either you tell him, or we find a way to get rid of everyone before we face Dasseren, because it's mainly going to be you and me."

"You and I are going to save the universe? Alone?"

"To be in our position is to be alone, Wielder," Athena replied softly.

"Will it abandon me?"

"Has it ever done so before?"

"I heard…"

"I know." The Princess faced the Wielder squarely. "I won't lie to you. It may abandon both of us. But we can't stop fighting. Can I depend on you?"

"Yeah."

A wistful smile touched the girl's face. "You're beginning to trust me."

"Just a little. Would you die to save the universe?"

"Yes."

Sara merely nodded and left.

-------------------------

"What is it you wish for me to do?"

"I need you to stay low, Ian. Do what you can to keep people away and calm when this happens."

"How are you stopping this?"

"I really can't do anything until after the portal is opened. That's the only time Dasseren will be really vulnerable."

"And you will be careful?"

"Yes." She took his bearded face in her hands, softly kissing his forehead and eyes. "If…I want you to know you're one of the ones I trust completely…even when you get possessed by your father."

He laughed softly, tears evident, and held her close.

-------------------------

"Gabe?"

"Yeah, Chief?"

"Why do you trust Athena?"

Gabriel played with his chess set for a moment, arranging his thoughts. "Freshman year, when I was actually in college, I was invited to a frat party. Athena warned me against it, but I went anyway."

"What happened?"

"Demons attacked the frat house, killing nearly everyone. Athena arrived in time to save a few others and me. The incident was covered up, so no one knows except those still living." He leaned back in his chair. "She saved my life, Sara. More than that, she never asked for anything in return. It's just what she does."

"You love her, don't you?"

"More than I've loved anyone else. And you can't love without trust."

"Okay."

"Do _you_ trust her?"

"I don't know, Gabe. A little, yes. But with my life?"

"She needs you, Sara. She needs your help, and your trust. The Witchblades won't work together without it."

"Could you explain that, please?"

"The jewels in your bracelets? They're halves of the same fruit. The power you both wield is amazing, but if you combine it…it would be astronomical."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. You two are probably some of the most powerful people on this planet."

"Could she defeat this on her own?"

"Maybe. Hell's different than here. She really has little control, because there's all these dimensions that have their own little rulers, and stuff."

"Whoa. Mind job."

"You have no idea. Neither do I, really. That's just what she's told me." He smiled to himself. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"What? Oh, no. I just wanted to know."

"Okay. I'm going to work on these documents, then. 'Bye."

"'Bye."

Gabriel stared thoughtfully at his receiver for a moment before hanging up and going back to the documents.

-------------------------

"Athena, I think you should go be by yourself," Giles suggested quietly so Xander would not overhear.

"Why?"

"Because you need to think some things over, like how you feel about Gabriel."

"_Perapa_, I really don't think this is the time…" She trailed off, studying his eyes. "What do you know, _Perapa_? Tell me."

He merely shook his head and kissed her forehead. "Go."

Giving him a very confused look, she picked up her jacket. "Xander, hold down the fort. I'll be back in a while."

"Okay," the teen muttered, absorbed in the tome in his hands, then raised his head. "Where's she going?"

Giles did not answer.

-------------------------

Situated on the front center spike of the Statue of Liberty's crown, Athena held her knees under her chin, staring unseeingly. Despite her outer repose, inside, her emotions were in turmoil. The bracelet on her wrist buzzed, and she glanced down. "Show me."

Before her mind's eye, a face was brought to the forefront, the same face in a thousand different bodies. And she could not mistake what her heart was telling her, newly thawed that it was. Slowly rising to her feet, she stood at the very tip of the spike, gazing around her. "He loves me," she murmured to herself. "And I…I love him."


	16. Oh fuck

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Sixteen

Giles glanced up as Athena entered, and she gave him a slight smile. He grinned back, and handed her a book; they settled back into research.

-------------------------

"A-ha! Found it!" Athena declared in triumph a few minutes later. "'I am Cerer, son of Deka, sister to Akri, and grandson of Coba, emperor of the Babylonian Empire'."

"The one that built the Gardens of Babylon?" Giles asked.

"Actually, that was Cerer's grandson. But, anyway…whoa, listen to this…'He has been banished, his evil magic stopped, but only for a time. He will be released again, when, we do not know, but it will happen. My grandfather has the secret to his destruction, but deems not to share it, for the safety of our family. We are simply told to keep the documents safe, for they will be needed again. So, they will pass through my family, from first-born to first-born, for the time when they are needed again.'"

"Trusting chap," Giles murmured. "So that's what those papers are?"

"Seems so. But how did Cornwall get them?"

"'Perath was the last descendant of Cerer'," Xander read aloud from the book in his hands.

"What book is that?"

"Cornwall's journal."

"I am such an idiot," the girl murmured. "Why didn't I think to look there?"

"Blond tendencies?" The teen asked cheekily, and received yet another smack on his head.

"Keep reading, Harris."

"Yes, ma'am. 'Not long after I discovered him in Jerusalem, he entrusted me with his family's secret. The pages he had, he said, were the story of his great-grandfather, and included the spell of banishment and destruction. Upon arriving back in England, I demanded a special hilt be made, one that could hold this precious parchment. The Princess has left, and now we are falling under the affliction, fighting a war against an invisible enemy. The corpses are piling up, burned because there are not enough gravediggers. This will be lost from all history, our king declares, and be told that we were fighting the Saxons. The priests have had their hand in this, I can tell. Perath…was the first to fall…tomorrow I depart for the witches of Gloucester. Mayhap they can stop this madness.' That's all."

Athena suddenly cursed. "This is too easy…there's something I'm missing."

"The parchments…go speak to Gabriel," Giles said. "Help him translate them."

"There's something about Akri…" Sighing, the girl slung on her jacket. "Be back."

-------------------------

"Got anything?"

Gabriel did not turn around. "Nope. You?"

"Perath was a descendant of Coba. These papers hold what we're looking for. But something's bothering me about Akri…" The girl pulled up a chair, and he gently rubbed the back of her neck. "Gabe?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Can we not worry about this for a little while, and you could just hold me?"

It was amazing, he mused absently as she curled into his arm, how the ache inside of him eased just by holding her, or touching her. Tilting her head up, he gently brushed her lips with his, then deepened the kiss as her fingers curled into his dark hair. For an eternity, they explored the subtle tastes of the other, and it was only when Gabriel's brain was screaming for oxygen did he break away.

Gently stroking her cheek, he raised his eyebrows at her, and she moved so she was straddling his thighs. Letting his head back so he could look at her, he linked his arms around her waist and smiled. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah," she replied quietly, resting her forehead against his. "Do you know I love you?"

His brows rose higher. "Do you?" He asked carefully.

"More than I've ever loved anyone else," she replied truthfully. "More than I even knew was possible."

He fisted a hand in her long hair, bringing her mouth to his. His other fingers began to inch under her shirt, and she arched toward the light touch. As her lips left his, he moved his kisses down her throat, feasting on the sensitive flesh, gently pulling her head farther back to expose more skin.

She felt herself slipping under his control, and tensed up. He sensed her feelings, and stopped, leaning back and breathing hard. Her questioning gaze found his, and he shook his head. "Tell me."

"I love you, Gabriel Bowman," she whispered.

"I know. Tell me what you want to happen. You wish is my command." With those simple words, he assured her fears.

"How did you…?"

"I know you." Gazing into her eyes, he added, "I may know what weakens your knees, but you know what captures my soul."

A soft smile traveled over her lips, and he tenderly kissed each corner of her mouth. "Well, my lady, this could be our last night on Earth."

"No. I'll stop this. But since you're being so helpful…remember those silk sheets you told me about?"

"Oh, yes."

"I think a close-up inspection is in order."

He grinned, slowly standing. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he caught her thighs to keep her from falling. Laughing, they made their way into the bedroom, landing in a heap on his bed. Clothes were tossed haphazardly around the room; lips and fingertips explored smooth skin. Teeth softly bit, nails dug in; sweat-slicked bodies slid against each other.

Gabriel looked down at Athena as they were joined, hands linked. Suddenly, he felt heated metal slithering over his wrist; they both looked to see the Witchblade binding their hands together as one. "Has that ever happened before?" He asked.

"Um, no," she replied. He glanced down to see a long line of her neck exposed; overtaken by a sudden urge, he bit the jugular hard enough to bruise. A sharp hiss escaped her; her nails dug into his shoulderblade. Then they were moving together. Overwhelmed by a dark fire, bound by bonds of physical and metaphysical material, they became one being, inseparable.

-------------------------

Gabriel glanced down to his still bound hand. "How long will this last?" He asked quietly, running the fingers of his other hand through Athena's tangled hair.

"Don't know," she replied sleepily. "Ever since I saw you again, it's been doing all sorts of stuff for the first time."

"Let's say that's a good thing, okay?"

"Okay." The girl studied her bracelet, then suddenly sat up. "Oh, no."

"What?"

"Akri was destined to be a Wielder."

"Who was in Cornwall's time?"

"His daughter was married to Perath…his granddaughter, then. She was killed in a Saxon raid…or so I was told by the priests."

Their eyes met as the Witchblade retreated from Gabriel's wrist. "Sara," they said in unison.

-------------------------

Sara Pezzini jerked awake, looking wildly around her apartment. Breathing a bit easier when she saw nothing there, she lay down again and caught sight of the flashing red jewel in her bracelet. "Oh, shut up and go to sleep," she told it. "There's…nothing there…"

Something bit the back of her neck, and she slapped at it, pulling her fingers away to see blood. "Oh, fuck."


	17. Don't Call Me Boy

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Seventeen

"Keep working on those documents," Athena said hurriedly. "We have even less time."

Gabriel merely nodded as the girl whirled herself into her usual leather pants and turtleneck. "Love you," she said before popping out of sight.

-------------------------

Witchblade in full sword form, Sara rolled out of bed and to her feet, slashing wildly at her invisible attackers. Still, the sharp pain was all over her, and she stumbled over her coffee table, landing hard on the floor.

Thrashing, she desperately tried to see her attackers, but there was nothing.

Athena suddenly appeared before her, her gauntleted right hand glowing. Sara's attackers suddenly abandoned her, heading for the new prey. "Can you stand?" Athena called, blood trailing down her cheek.

In answer, Pezzini hopped to her feet. "What the hell is happening?"

Athena didn't answer, just lashed out with her fist at the empty air. "Sara, do exactly as I do when I do it," she said.

The detective nodded, and, as one, they thrust forward. A scream tore the air; a shadow fell. "Ian was right," the girl muttered. "Sara!"

Without even realizing what she was doing, Sara lifted her right arm with Athena, and the two Witchblades emanated a blue glow. An invisible wall formed around them, impenetrable. Shrieks of anger radiated from outside the protection, and both women felt the apartment empty. "Are they gone?" Sara asked quietly.

"Seems so," Athena replied, letting the wall down. "Well, we now know what's causing these murders."

"I thought you said ghosts couldn't do this."

"These aren't ghosts, they're spirits. There's a difference."

Sara made a face, and the Princess laughed tiredly. "Go sit at your kitchen table, and I'll heal you."

"What, are they poisonous?"

"I think so. I think that if you die from their attack, you become one of them. I don't know of anyone who's survived besides you."

"You survived."

"I think we had this conversation some other time, hmm?"

"Oh, right. 'I can simply get up and see if there's any limbs missing, and go on. You, on the other hand, are not afforded that luxury, I would imagine'," Sara recalled, sitting at her table.

"See?" The girl held her hand over Sara's head and concentrated. The detective relaxed as a sweet warmth spread over her, erasing all memory of her pain. The heat left, and she lifted her arm to see no wounds remaining.

"Neat. Can I learn that trick?"

"Sorry, usually helps to have a bit of magic in your blood. No, the Witchblade does not count."

"Damn."

"Quite. Here, get dressed. We'd better get down to HQ, see what's happening."

-------------------------

Gabriel paced by his desk, holding two of the Sumerian pages next to each other. "Houston, I think we have something," he murmured, laying the two down. Picking up another, he scanned its translation and placed it farther down.

A few minutes later, he called Athena's cell.

"Yes?"

"Hey, love. I've got something."

"Brilliant. What?"

"Those papers? They form an 'I'."

"Let me guess. The top three are instructions, while the rest are the actual spell."

"Mmm-hmm. And it has to be read in the original Sumerian, as far as I can understand."

"Picky bastards. I can't get away right now. I'll pick them up in about an hour, okay?"

"I'll be waiting. Love you."

"You, too."

He smiled and hung up, unaware of the shadow departing from his wall.

-------------------------

"How many victims have there been?"

"Six hundred sixty-four," an agent named Courtney replied, pushing back her mahogany hair. "Pez would have been sixty-five."

"Two more…probably even more messy than the previous…" She flipped through a book. "Well, listen to this. 'The last sacrifice has to be prepared carefully, or all shall come to a naught.'"

"And that means what exactly?" Xander asked.

"If the last sacrifice isn't done right, he'll fail, we can always hope."

"Princess," Courtney interrupted. "There's been one more."

"Only one?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Fine. I'm going to Gabe's. I'll be right back."

-------------------------

Gabriel turned in his chair to see Dasseren. "What do you want?" He asked warily.

"The Princess loves you?"

"Last time I asked."

"Such wit. How amusing." More quickly than the eye could see, the warlock's gloved fist flashed out and hit Bowman's jaw. Gabriel fell out of his chair, spitting up blood.

"What, sand wasn't enough? Now you've got to hit me, too?"

"Oh, that's the least of what I'm going to do, boy. But first, let me deal with these papers…" Taking the documents into his hand, Dasseren blinked his flaming eyes, and the papers dissolved into ash.

"Athena's going to kick your ass," Gabriel laughed, wiping the blood off his jaw.

"Not before all she has been protecting ends." Smoothing back his coppery hair, Dasseren picked Gabriel up by his collar and, almost absently, threw him into a display case. "You see, boy, the last thing she's going to see is you."

"Don't call me boy," Bowman ground out, rolling to his feet and swinging his fist at Dasseren's face. However, Dasseren's face was not there to be hit, and the next thing Gabriel knew, there was a sharp pain on the back of his neck, and everything went black.

-------------------------

Athena popped into Gabriel's apartment and blinked. The place was in shambles, and Bowman was nowhere in sight. And in the middle of the floor…she knelt and gathered some of the ash in her hand. It was the parchments. They, and her last idea, had been destroyed.

"And he's going to be your last sacrifice tonight," she spat angrily.


	18. The Battle Begins

**__**

Flesh Wounds

Part Eighteen

"He's got Gabe," Athena announced, striding into the warehouse. "And, unless we stop it, he's going to sacrifice him tonight."

"And we know where's it's supposed to take place," Xander replied.

-------------------------

"Okay, the spell was destroyed."

"So how do we stop this?"

"Carefully. Not many know this, but this is a key universe. Destroy this one, and all the other ones crumble."

"Why?"

"Who knows?" She lifted up yet another book, displaying a picture. "There's only one thing that can end all this in one sweep."

"_Baskera_," Giles whispered.

"Say _what_?" The captain exclaimed.

"_Baskera_," Athena explained. "More than demons. The worst thing I have ever, _ever_ heard of."

"Ever faced them?" Xander asked.

"No. It takes a _hell_ of a lot of power to summon them."

"How many?"

"Five besides me, Dasseren included," she answered.

"How do we stop this?"

"I don't know. The spell was how to stop them, and it was the only copy. Maybe something about the location…Xander, where is this happening again?"

"Right here," the teen replied, pointing to…

"The Empire State Building?!" The group exclaimed.

-------------------------

Gabriel slowly awakened, groaning at the elephants tap-dancing in his head. Then he discovered he was tied to a large, overstuffed chair. "I thought you might like to be comfortable," Dasseren told him from the shadows.

"How kind of you," Gabriel said through gritted teeth, yanking at the ropes.

Gloved hand stopped him. "Now, now, you'll waste your blood, and I need it."

"Why?"

"You should know. Hell wants the universes, and I can supply."

"I hate to sound cliché, but you won't get away with this."

"Such fire. I can see why she loves you."

"Yeah, well, I'm a special guy."

"You have no idea."

-------------------------

"Are we going to be much help?" Danny asked bluntly.

"Probably not," Athena replied reluctantly. "Are you very religious?"

"What?"

She repeated herself.

"No. I've ignored Him for so long, why should he care?"

"Danny, you're going to need faith."

"Why?"

"The _Baskera_…they still have one weakness. They feed on the faithlessness. The truly faithful are defended by their faith. Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, it don't matter, you must have faith."

He caught her hand. "I have faith in you."

A small, wistful smile was his reply.

-------------------------

"How much blood is needed for this ritual?"

"A drop, but more is always helpful. Then he'll be given to the spirits. Xander, you and Sara will be with me. Danny, Captain, Jake, I don't know what he'll have, but I want you surrounding the building, and _keep people away_. And you'll need faith."

"Like religion?" Jake asked.

"Only way to defend yourself," she explained quickly. "Just believe in _something_."

"Ooh, I sense twenty-three churches," Xander muttered.

"Hey, it works." She bit her thumbnail.

"What do you pray to?" Xander asked so softly none but she could hear.

"Nothing wants to hear my prayers, honey," she answered just as quietly.

-------------------------

"Why Pez?"

"Kindred spirit," Athena replied, pulling off her gloves.

"Athena," he stopped her with a hand on the arm. "It's something to do with your mysteriously matching bracelets, isn't it?"

"Yes," she replied frankly. "But Sara's the one who had to tell you."

"Okay. Hey, Athena? Be careful, okay? I don't want to lose you."

She hugged him hard. "You, too, grasshopper."

-------------------------

"Okay, there's so much black here, Deadboy would be in Heaven," Xander muttered, and was rewarded by a chuckle from Athena.

"Deadboy?" Sara asked quizzically.

"A…friend of ours," the blonde replied, gazing up at the Empire State Building. "They'll be at the top, but we'll have to stop by each floor and clean it out. You two ready?"

"As we'll ever be," Sara replied.

"Have faith, darling."

Xander half-smiled. "I love you, 'Thene."

She tossed her braid over her shoulder. "You, too, Xand. Let's do this."

-------------------------

Gabriel worriedly gazed down at the ground far, _far_ below his slim form, which was chained to a beam near the top of the Empire State Building. And he was shirtless, never a good sign. Closing his eyes, he began to breathe deeply to keep from becoming ill.

"Comfortable?" Dasseren sneered.

"Oh, yeah," Bowman replied, and sent up a silent prayer. "So, what are you waiting for?"

"Like all things, there is a time," the warlock replied, waving his hand. Five candles floated around Gabriel's body, streams of smoke forming a pentagram with him in the center.

"Most would be begging for their lives. I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well, what can I say? I'm a special guy."

-------------------------

The two women rolled, avoiding a clawed swipe. Xander was waiting; he sliced down, and the claw fell sizzling to the floor. Sara kicked the demon's legs out from under it, and Athena slashed with her Witchblade, decapitating it.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah," Athena replied. "But just for this floor."

"'Thene, we're only on the tenth floor," Xander told her.

"And it's going to get worse on each floor." She hopped to her feet. "C'mon."

-------------------------

"So your spirits…Akri is the leader, right?" Gabriel asked, eyes still closed.

"Technically. I created the curse, and she was the first to fall ill." The warlock placed a silver blade on the beam near Gabriel. "Tell me, do you have faith?"

"Yes."

-------------------------

Athena took Xander's face in her hands, examining his head wound. "It's started to heal," she reported as the elevator dinged to a stop. "Last floor."

The teen slowly straightened, regaining his strength quickly. "Let's get this over with."

Then he saw what was waiting for them. "Magic, 'Thene," he whispered. "Fireballs?"

"Won't work. But this will…" The girl held up her hands; streams of water flew out, forming walls around most of the demons. But that still left plenty for the small group, and they rushed in.

-------------------------

"What do you have faith in?"

Gabriel slowly shifted before replying carefully, "Her love for me. My love for her."

"How touching."

"Glad you think so."

Dasseren smiled. "You have no idea, do you?"

"About what?" Gabriel asked warily.

"What your love means. Why her stone turns green."


	19. Do you trust me, Wielder?

**Author's Notes:**  Oh, my god, I am so sorry about this delay, you guys.  I know, I know, it's now September, and my last update was in March.  I've graduated from high school, and am now in college, so you know, my main words are "BLOODY HELL!"  Anyway, I should be finishing this bloody story over the next few days.  I shall not rest until this accursed thing is done!!!!!!  And with that, I again offer my most sincere apologies, and let us continue…

Flesh Wounds Part Nineteen 

            The two wielders and one Immortal Aide carefully crept through the top floor, but it was mercifully empty.  They paused outside the door to the roof; Athena jerked up a hand to unnecessarily quiet her companions.  They were just in time to hear Dasseren say, "What your love means.  Why her stone turns green."

            Sara and Xander exchanged glances, but remained silent as Gabriel replied, "Because she loves me."

            "You're only half-right, my boy, and you know it."

            "Refresh my memory, then," Gabriel spat.

            "Gladly.  She has loved you in every lifetime, without even knowing it.  You've been her friend and her companion, but she's never realized you are one of the great loves of her life.  She loves you as much as that Horseman…Death, I think he was.  Her soul is irrevocably bound to yours.  You have lived lifetime upon lifetime, and she has lost you every single time.  She has needed you time and time again, and you have always died in her arms.  And this time…she has found you…and your death will finally destroy her."  The warlock began to laugh.  "I shall destroy the universes and their protector in one stroke."

            "You don't know my girlfriend very well, do you?" Gabriel asked, but the coppery-haired immortal could still discern the sheen of sweat glistening on Gabriel's face.

            "But apparently, you do, and you know how fragile she is."

            "Go to hell."

            "I'm planning on it."

            There was a sharp outcry, and Athena kicked the door open.

            Two light slashes sliced across Gabriel's breastbones, and Dasseren whirled as the three crashed onto the roof of the Empire State Building, power crackling from the two Witchblade Wielders.  The warlock moved faster than time, slicing Gabriel's chest in two thin strokes.  "You're too late, Princess," he cackled.  The portal is about to open."

            They could only watch as a single drop fell through the air, then suddenly stopped and shimmered.  "Athena?" Sara whispered.  "Why his blood?"

            "Because he's bound to me, much as the _Baskera_ are," the Princess replied softly.

            "Holy shit," was all Xander said.  "'Thene…"

            The drop of Gabriel's blood was joined by the rest dripping from the shallow cuts on his chest, forming a sheet of glistening liquid.

            Down on the ground, Danny, Jake, and the rest looked up, watching everything.  "Holy shit," Jake unconsciously echoed Xander.  "What the hell is happening up there?"

            "I don't think we want to find out," Danny answered.

            The night began to crackle, and a jagged line appeared in mid-air, power roaring out of the crack, blowing their hair back from the immensity.  Kind of like when Athena was not shielding, Xander happened to muse in detached awe.  The portal began to open, revealing a black pit…a pit that had charred, clawed arms reaching out.

            Gabriel's wound began to clot, and he sighed in relief, then felt an invisible tongue scrape over his chest.  "Athena!" He shouted.

            Athena whipped around to see the bite marks appear upon her lover's pale body.  "_Xander!_"

            The young Immortal rushed for Gabriel, feverishly starting to work on the chains holding him up.  "God, what is this, _mithril_?" He muttered.

            "Xander!" Gabriel shouted in warning, and the teen rolled away as fire leapt to where he was.  Scrambling to his feet, rapier in hand, Xander watched as the flames in Dasseren's eyes grew brighter.

            "The day has come!" The warlock roared.

            "Not today," Xander replied, smiling humorlessly.

            Dasseren raised his hand; fire began to spread from his fingers.  Xander cursed and ducked, kicking Dasseren's legs out from under him and slicing through his arm.  "Athena!"

            Athena threw out a hand; a stream of power hit Xander's blade, and he sliced through Gabriel's chains.  Bowman grabbed hold of the railing before he fell into the chasm below, which was swarming with demons.  One stepped out, seven feet tall, skin black and cracked, oozing red liquid.  Horns protruded from its skull, framing a face that could cause death merely by looking at it.  "Xander!  I'm slipping!" He shouted as he desperately tried to hold on; then the demon's arm snaked up and wrapped around his leg.

            Xander lurched over the railing, snatching at Gabriel's arm.  "Hold on, buddy.  I got you!"

            Dasseren headed for the two again when a silver sword blocked his way.  "Please, keep moving forward," Athena smiled.

            "Be careful, Princess.  Are you sure you can handle my spirits?"

            "Hey, I'm talented, remember?"

            "_Attack the Princess!!_" The warlock roared, and the Princess punched him, knocking him out, but not for long.

            "Sara!"

            The Wielder, motionless until now, rushed to Athena's side and unconsciously placed her gauntlet against the girl's.  The silver swirled over both their wrists, blending together to form one gauntlet, with a broadsword protruding.  There was no time for surprise; moving as one, the two women fought violently, slashing and thrusting.  With each swipe, a spirit or more fell, but was replaced immediately.

            "How many are there?" Sara called.

            "Too many," Athena replied grimly.

----------------------------

            Xander pulled for all he was worth, but Gabriel was slipping in his grasp.  "Dammit, hold on!"

            "What the hell do you think I'm doing?" Bowman shouted back, pain lacing his voice as the demon's claws cut into his leg.

----------------------------

            Sweat breaking out on their foreheads, Athena and Sara fell back.  "How…many…more?" Sara panted.

            "Not sure," Athena replied.  "Separate yourself and cross our blades."

            Sara wordlessly spun away, the two Witchblades sliding apart with a steely hiss.  The blonde and brunette faced each other, thrusting their blades up into the sky, the tips connecting.  Red flames flew from the tips, forming a fiery column around them.

            Disembodied voices began to filter through the Witchblades' shield, whispering, taunting.  "Ah, shut the hell up," Athena muttered.

            _"Athena…"_ a voice whispered.

            "Akri?"

            _"Why did you never come?  You could have saved me…"_

            "Ask your master.  He's actually the one who let you die."

----------------------------

            On the street below, Danny Woo could not believe what he was seeing.  These…demons were flooding the street, picking up passer-bys on the streets and gulping them down like candy.  A few cops pulled out their pieces and shot at the monsters, but the bullets either ricocheted off the demon's hides or were caught and crushed in a huge, clawed hand.  "_Hold your fire!_" The captain roared.  "Remember what the Princess said!  Start praying!"

            "What?" A rookie protested.  "Prayer's not going to do jack shit!"

            "We trust the authority on this," The captain growled, "and that's Athena.  We do what she says.  Now you'd better find some faith right now, or we all die!"

            Hesitantly, someone started, "Our Farther, who art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy name…"

            More and more joined in, then someone started praying in Hindu, another in Chinese, and, as Danny and Jake began to pray, they were pretty sure they heard someone start to pray to the Princess.

            The Baskera stopped, disorientated, as every person in a five-block square began to pray, following the examples of others.

----------------------------

            Back up on the Empire State Building, Gabriel grappled for something to hold on to, hooking his fingers around a protruding bar.  Frantically kicking he felt himself slipping from Xander's grasp.  "Man, hold on!" Xander called down.  "If you die, Athena will kick my ass!"  Looking down, he got an idea.  "Okay, man, can you grab onto the railing again?"

            "What?"

            "Just do it!  I've got to let you go for a minute."

            Gabriel desperately grabbed onto to the railing, knuckles growing white as the demon started to pull harder.  Xander swung one leg over the edge and balanced precariously.  "Okay…let's see if all that damn training paid off."

            "Any time now!" Gabriel shouted.

            The young Immortal took careful aim and threw his sword down into the _Baskera_'s arm.  It managed to penetrate through one of the fleshy, throbbing cracks, and the demon roared in pain and released Gabriel.  Harris quickly hauled Athena's boyfriend over the edge, and the two collapsed in a heap.  "Hey, Xander?"

            "Yeah?"

            "Is it just me, or are Athena and Sara surrounded by a column of clear red fire?"

            Xander lifted his head.  "It's not just you."

            "Oh, good.  I hate to be wrong."

            Then the two bounded to their feet.  However, as he passed by Dasseren's body, Gabriel took the time to kick him hard in the side.  "Don't call me boy, you son-of-a-bitch," he muttered.

            Xander laughed.  "Now I know why she like you.  C'mon."

----------------------------

            "Athena…"

            "Concentrate.  Feel the spirits." Then the girl arched a brow.  _"Xander."_

            The Immortal pulled Gabriel to a halt.  "'Thene?"

            _"Get down and stay until I tell you otherwise!"_

            "C'mon," Xander said.  "We need to get low."

            Bowman wordlessly nodded, then Xander glanced back.  "Oh, crap."

            Athena reached out her mind, gently brushing against Sara's.  They joined, and their gaze snapped out toward the flesh-eating spirits.  Xander tackled Gabriel, shoving him down as waves of flame reached out, the column beginning to spin, faster and faster, reaching for the spirits.  "Stay down," the young Immortal hissed as they felt their hair ruffle from the heat.  Screams of pain rang in their ears, and Xander yelled, "What the hell is going on?"

            "They're destroying the spirits," Gabriel called back, coughing from the smoke.

            Suddenly, the fire was gone, and the two sat up, gasping.  Athena and Sara were rushing for the guardrail.  "Xander, Gabe, get the hell out of here," Athena said hurriedly.

            "This is bad," Sara muttered.

            "And it's gotten worse," a new voice said; they turned to see Dasseren's fists crashing down on them.

            They fell hard; Dasseren stepped back, raising his arms.  "Your time has come!"

            "I don't think so!  This world is not yours to destroy!"

            "This will all crumble beneath your feet, Princess!"

            The blonde blocked a lightening strike and gazed at Sara.  "Do you trust me, Wielder?"

            Sara did not hesitate.  "Yes."

            Athena shot out her gauntleted hand; Sara did the same, and they clasped wrists.

            And time…stopped.


	20. Never Make Deals With The Devil

**Author's Notes:**  Just one or two more parts, I believe.

Flesh Wounds Part Twenty 

            "Cheap tricks cannot scare me, Princess!"

            "These are no tricks, cheap or otherwise," Athena answered, the sound reverberating in the open area.

            "Everyone here will die!"

            "No," Sara replied this time, "They won't."

            The two women stepped forward into the faint light, the Witchblades glinting on their right wrists in full sword form.  Both were dressed in long, dark green gowns, tied behind their necks.

            "Who are you?" The warlock whispered.

            "We are protectors…" Athena began.

            "Warriors…" Sara added.

            "And sisters, of blood…"

            "Flesh, and spirit.  Who are we?"

            "We are the Wielders, and you…you are nothing."

            They lifted their hands as one, and the _Baskera _were hurtled back into the pit of utter darkness from which they came.  Then the two glanced at the warlock, and Dasseren's flesh began to smoke and bubble, slowly melting away from his bones.  He reached out one decomposing hand, his finger bones poking through.  "Master," he croaked, flames beginning to engulf him, "You promised…"

            "Never make promises with the devil, Dasseren," the two women said in unison.  "He doesn't keep them very well."

            Finally, after agonizing minutes, his body crumbled into ash; the two women calmly crossed to the guardrail.  Dasseren's remains swirled up with a breeze and blew past them; the ashes blanketed the portal.  Athena and Sara gestured, and the pit collapsed, rocking the world with a titanic wrench.

----------------------------

            In the silence that followed, everyone looked around at each other.  "Is it---" Danny stopped and cleared his throat.  "Is it over?"

            "I think so," Xander replied, stepping out of the building with Gabriel.  "Oh, my god, we made it."

            All around them, people started to laugh, cry, and embrace as the realizations hit them all.

            They had survived.

----------------------------

            Back up on the roof, Athena and Sara were sitting and leaning against the wall, their clothes back to their original attire.  "That was…weird," Sara finally said. "And I hate dresses."

            "Mmm-hmm," Athena replied, eyes closed as she leaned her head against the wall.  "But it got the point across."

            "What happens now?"

            "Well, personally, I was thinking pizza, chocolate, and some good movies, preferably with, oh, Heath Ledger in them."

            "Athena…"

            "Sorry.  Um, we go down, join the big celebration, and you learn more about that pretty little bracelet."

            "Will you teach me?"

            "I can show you some things, but it will mostly teach you."  They stood and gazed out at the New York skyline.

            "You never realize how beautiful it is," Sara mumbled to herself.

            "Until you almost lose it," Athena added.

            Then they turned and headed down into the street.

----------------------------

            Xander swept Athena up into his arms, laughing, while Sara hugged Danny and Jake.

            Ian merely touched Athena's shoulder; she rested her hand on his, and then he glanced at Sara.  She touched his arm, and then he melted back into the crowd.

            Gabriel waited as Athena embraced the rest of her friends; Sara came over to him.  "Haven't found a shirt yet?"

            He laughed, pulling the EMS blanket closer around his shoulders, wincing at the slight pain in his chest.  "You okay?" Sara asked, touching his shoulder.

            "I'll heal," he replied, embracing her.  "I'm glad you made it."

            "Yeah, I'm a bit happy about that, myself.  And that you did, too.  Now, go get your girl."

            He laughed, then made his way to where Athena was being held by her foster-father.  Gently touching her shoulder, he smiled crookedly.  "Can I cut in?"

            Reluctantly relinquishing his hold, the Brit let Gabriel take his place.  Athena's eyes slowly rose to meet his, and he leaned his forehead against hers, wrapping his blanket around them both.  "You okay?" She asked softly.

            "Yeah."

            She felt his wounds and healed them.  "I nearly lost you."

            "Me, too."  He kissed the tip of her nose.  "I love you."

            "I love you, too."

            He pulled back a little.  "What, no arguments?  No angst?"

            "Not right now."

            "Well, what do you know?  There are miracles."

            "Oh, shut up," she laughed, "We'll argue later," she managed to say before he captured her lips with his.

            "Thanks to you and Sara, we now have a later," Xander interjected, coming over to the couple.  "So sorry to interrupt, but we have emergencies popping up everywhere.  There's even shit going down in Antarctica…do we even _have_ people in Antarctica?"

            "No, we have penguins," Athena replied, ruffling his hair.

            "Oh, very funny."

            The blonde slowly pulled away from her lover, and Gabriel smiled.  "Go.  I'll wait for you.  I'll wait for you forever."

            She kissed him hard, then left with her Immortal Aide.  Danny rested a hand on Bowman's shoulder.  "Well give you ride home, okay?"

            "Thanks."

            They all took a moment to look up into the sky, reveling in the stars, the clouds, and the fact that life, indeed, did go on.


	21. Epilogue

**Author's Notes:**  Remarkable how it took me six months to write three parts, eh?  _So sorry._  But at least the wait has ended.

Flesh Wounds Epilogue 

            A week later, Gabriel let himself into Athena's apartment, smiling at the music pounding through the apartment.  Linkin Park, it sounding like.  Underneath the pulsing beat, he heard someone in the workout room, and left the dinner he had brought on the kitchen table, briefly warming his hands on the fire in the fireplace.  Athena was pounding on her punching bag, performing moves that made him wince at the complexity and position.  The CD stopped playing, replaced by one that was a bit softer.  The girl began to move through a series of katas, and Gabriel was content to just watch her.  He knew she knew he was there.

            She was dressed in loose black pants and a sports bra; as she moved, the soft light made her glow.  Then he blinked.  That was no trick of the light.  The slim girl was literally glowing.  And, he suddenly realized, it was because of him.  She had stopped, her back to him, and he quietly crossed the room until he was behind her.  His hands hovered just above her skin; the glow brightened.  Moving down her pale arms, he watched with fascination as the light followed his fingers.

            Athena was also watching his hand, having to keep herself almost impossibly still to stop from melting into his arms.  "Tell me," he whispered hoarsely.

            "Tell you what?" She asked softly.

            "Don't play games with me, girl."

            Her hands clenched into fists as she felt his lips on the back of her neck.  "You're scared," he murmured.  "The euphoria's worn off, and now you're terrified of what this means."

            "Aren't you?"

            "Fucking terrified."

            She smiled to herself.  It was not often Gabriel used such language.

            "But I've learned to not let fear run my life," he continued.  Backing away, he stood in the middle of the room, arms at his side.  "My soul may be bound to the cycle of time, but time has never owned me.  You have.  I'm yours, and I know you're mine."

            "I don't know if I can lose you," she replied, not turning around.  "This is the first time I've ever known how much I loved you.  I don't know if I could survive this time."

            "Baby, don't you see?  _You'll never lose me._  I will always, _always_ be with you.  Of course I'll die.  I'm mortal, after all.  But I'll still be with you.  You're only focusing on the downside instead of the fact that I will always be with you, in one body or another.  You don't love my body, Athena.  You love my soul, and that…that is immortal.  My soul will always be with you."

            She slowly turned, her gaze meeting his.  "Fate says you lose me, but what they don't say is you'll find me again."  He spread his arms.  "I'm here, right now.  I love you.  I'll never leave you.  I _can't_."

            As she studied him, hundreds of face flitted over his features.  He was right.  His heart, his soul, those were the same.

            His voice dropped to a hoarse, fervent whisper.  "Let yourself fall, my Princess.  Let me catch you.  I'll be your shelter, the place where you can just be you.  I won't protect you.  You don't need that.  But I'll be the place where you can heal and protect yourself.  Just…just don't run away.  If you do, I'll find you.  I'll fight God and Satan for you.  I will _die_ for you.  I will do anything for you."

            She hesitantly stretched out her right hand, fingers spread; he pressed his palm to hers.  Her glowing skin brightened, passing to him; their hands seemed to meld together.  "You see?" He asked softly as the Witchblade turned to liquid, spreading over both their hands and wrists.  "We are bound, through time and space and power."  Gently pulling her close, he added, "Close your eyes."  He took her other hand, rested it against his heart.  "Feel me."  He pressed his hand against her heart.  "As I feel you.  There's no difference.  There's no me without you.  And there's no you without me.  We're one."

            Her eyes slowly opened, meeting his; he gave her a soft smile, but did not say anything more.

            The phone rang in the other room, and then suddenly cut off; Gabriel heard it crash into the wall.  Raising his brows at her, he grinned, then felt her lips touch his.

            The Witchblade melted back into itself; he tangled his freed hand in her hair, angling her head to the side before bending his knees and scooping her up in his arms, then headed for her bedroom.  "Do you have a fire in every room?" He asked between kisses.

            "Just this and the living room…oh, and the bathroom…and the den…" she laughed, pushing off his over-shirt.

            It was as if it was the first time.  He explored her body as if he had never seen it before; she reached for him as if she were a newly touched virgin, shy and hesitant

            As their pale forms twined together, he held her gaze as he slowly slid into her.  Their hands joined by the Witchblade, they saw themselves reflected in each other, their flesh gleaming from their intensity.  The Witchblade continued to spread over them until they turned to raging rivers, blending together to become an ocean.  He became her; she became him.

----------------------------

            The next morning, Gabriel slowly opened his eyes, inhaling the scent of Athena's shampoo…green tea and jasmine.  Looking over at her, he smiled.  "God, if this is a dream, _don't_ wake me up."

            She laughed, stroking his cheek, and leaned over to capture his lips with hers, then grew serious.  "I'm going to have to be out of town for the next few weeks."

            "Okay.  You'll come back?"

            "One way or another."

            "When do you leave?"

            "Later tonight."

            "You'll be careful?"

            "Yes, Mummy."

            "Shut up and come here so I can tell you good-bye," he grinned, bringing her down to him.

----------------------------

            "So, you got back okay?"

            "Yeah.  G-man?" Xander asked.

            "Called earlier, a cup of tea in front of him and a nice book in his hand."

            "'Thene, your dad's weird."

            "Nah, just British.  So how are the Scoobies?"

            "Spike's writing poetry, or so he says.  He wants your address."

            "Go ahead and give it to him and, of course, give them all my love."

            "Of course.  I'll come visit.  I may even bring the Bleached Moron, if he's good."

            She laughed.  "I miss you already, my darling."

            "You too, my Princess."  He talked to someone else for a moment.  "Gotta go, honey.  Buffy needs me, and I think Anya wants, uh…"

            "Hello sex?  Reassurance sex?  Just plain sex?" Athena suggested.  "Go, and be careful."

            "I love you, 'Thene."

            "You, too, Xand."

            "Now, don't go too crazy up there in New York.  I've seen the news."

            She laughed.  "I'll see you around, darling."

            "You, too, honey.  'Bye."

            "'Bye."  Clicking her phone off, she walked toward her bike, hands in her jacket pockets.  This year may not suck as bad as she thought it would.  And she probably just jinxed herself.  Damn.  Smiling, she kicked the Harley into gear and headed for upstate New York.

----------------------------

            A week later, Sara Pezzini woke up to find the Witchblade gone from her wrist.

**_Fin._** (Finally.)

**EAN:**  Okay.  Sorry again for the, uh, irresponsibility on my part.  So, what did you think?  A sequel sound good?  And hopefully, it shall not take a year or so to finish.  :S  Thanks for the support and stuff.  And reviews are always welcome, savvy?


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